From Ashes
by Valeria22
Summary: Thane Krios, as a rookie assassin, meets someone unexpected on the Citadel during one of his contracts. Even after saying goodbye to her after fighting by her side against seemingly everyone who all wanted them dead, their lives are inexplicably drawn together again and again. Pre/During/Post Mass Effect series Thane Krios/OC M for later chapters
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: If you made it past the horrible summary, congratulations to me. I really don't do well with a word limit hanging over me head counting down slowly. It makes me panic. Anyways, thank you for clicking on my story. For my sanity's sake, I have all ready written it because I don't like making people wait most likely because I can't wait either. So, this story will be added to biweekly (probably on Tuesdays and Fridays). It's about 38 chapters long and 283 pages on Microsoft Word. I really hope you enjoy it despite the bad summary. **

**I don't own the characters from Mass Effect. They are all Bioware's. I do however own my own character Ali Daniels.**

* * *

A Salarian was walking out the back door of his office to a waiting car. He was blissfully unaware there was a hit out on him which caused the Drell laying in wait above him to thank the gods he didn't have to fight through bodyguards. The assassin was so intent on his target that he didn't notice the woman enter the alley behind him until it was too late. He dropped on the man from his perch quickly ending his life with a jerk of his neck and following him to the ground. The woman clapped a hand over her mouth stifling a scream and leapt behind a pile of refuse that the keepers hadn't taken away yet. She huddled there keeping absolutely silent and still.

The assassin fluidly rose and stole over to the woman. Quicker than she could register, he grabbed her by the throat slamming her against the wall. The sound of her skull cracking against the building wall the only sound to be heard since the hovercars were high above them and didn't dare venture below the building lines especially in an alley this narrow. Grabbing his wrist and fingers, she tried to pry his hand off her. "Let me go," she managed before he tightened his grip silencing her. But unlike most people, she didn't beg for her life or struggle; she stared into his dark eyes in slight fear and ultimate acceptance. She noticed his eyes were lifeless like his body was acting all by itself without a mind behind it calling the shots. She tightened her muscles holding back all her reflexes and instincts. She had fought for years to get rid of her day to day reflexes to kill anything that threatened her or moved too fast. She wasn't about to relapse now. Even if it meant her life. The Drell looked down at her noticing that she was trembling slightly but not in fear like a normal innocent would be. It seemed like all her muscles were bunched so hard that her entire body was trembling with the strain. He cocked his head slowly thinking about his options. She hadn't seen his face clearly in the semi dark of the alley, on the one hand, but on the other his contract specifically said no witnesses. However, when he looked into her eyes again, he made his decision.

He let her drop to the ground. Gasping for breath and holding her neck, she could feel the bruises starting to form. When she had cleared her head enough to form coherent thoughts, she looked up past her hair to see an empty alley in front of her. Slowly she rose to her feet before continuing on her path wanting nothing to do with the Drell assassin or the person he killed.

* * *

The assassin crouched perfectly still where he perched and watched unblinkingly as the woman from before came into the alley. He felt himself smirk at her courage to keep the same route home after what he did to her a few nights ago. Tearing his eyes from her orange hair, he scanned the surrounding area making sure nothing had changed. In the shadows, he spotted a new shadow, definitely humanoid and it looked like it was aiming through a rifle. He looked through his scope confirming his suspicions. He took aim, letting his breath move out of him before he slowly squeezed the trigger. The bullet hit the shooter right behind his ear, and he fell from view taking his rifle with him.

Slowly he took in the scene again spotting two men coming from either side of the alley heading her off both ways. He hurried a shot taking out the man behind her. He looked down at the woman again and widened his eyes when he saw her staring up at him. Putting his rifle away, he dropped down silently into the alley directly in front of the woman. As he charged towards her glowing blue with biotic power, she must have seen the fear in his eyes because she threw herself to the side and rolled into cover just as a bullet met the wall where her head had been.

The man was tossed aside into the wall, his neck snapping as he hit at an awkward angle. The Drell looked over at where she was brushing herself off. "Come with me," he said holding out a hand in friendship. Hesitating for several long moments, she took his hand, and they started running.

"So I guess you're the reason they are trying to kill me?" she asked looking up at him. He nodded curtly before taking her down another alley opposite of the way she was going. She jerked to a stop causing him to look back at her in bewilderment. "We need to go to my apartment first."

"They will look for you there if they all ready haven't."

"I can't help you if you don't let me." He frowned not knowing how to react, and she took the opportunity to grab his wrist and lead him back towards where she was heading in the first place.

"Are all humans usually this difficult?"

"No, usually they would be hysterical with fear, and they would be drawing attention to your position with their screams. Would you prefer that?"

"No," he responded softly effectively rebuffed.

"We're wasting time. Let's go."

When she got close to the door, it slid silently open. Everyone on the Citadel, who so chose, was implanted with a chip in the meat where their shoulder met the neck. It contained all her personal information including a key to her apartment. As the Drell went through his ritual of assessing the safety of the room and any emergency exits, she started opening a floor safe. "I didn't catch a name," she called over her shoulder.

"Krios. Thane Krios."

"Well Sere Krios, I am Ali. It's nice to meet you when you're not trying to kill me." A small quirk of the lips was his only response. She grabbed a pistol, a SMG, and a knife from the safe as well as a bag. Quickly looking over the pistol, she was immediately glad that she hadn't decided to get rid of her weapons when she started her new life especially since this pistol was her favorite: an M-5 Phalanx SP. She loved the rate of fire paired with the accuracy. It was one of those heavy pistols that didn't do a lot of damage, but when you're the type of person who makes the shot count, it didn't matter to her that it wasn't as powerful as an M-6 Carnifex. Plus she had a few upgrades on it that made it even better. _Man, I love this gun._ She stuffed the SMG in it which was also a favorite one of hers and a very famous weapon: an M-12 Locust known as the gun "that killed two presidents." She smiled to herself as she put a pack of heat sinks in the bag as well before throwing it on her back and standing. "Ready."

As if it had been programmed to trigger with that word, a plastique bomb blew in the door followed closely by three mercs. Both of them were thrown to the floor from the blast but were quick to recover. Seeing the mercs before she did, Thane threw Ali behind a wall before they could do them any damage. The walls were not as thick as they could have been, and while most of the bullets either missed or bounced off his shields, one tore through his side making him grunt. Quickly his mind assessed the damage: no organs damaged, pressure would keep the bleeding under control for maybe an hour. Conclusion: not an immediate problem. Thane had pinned Ali against the wall with his body, and while she found the coolness and warmth of his skin almost impossible to resist, she pushed him away from her forcing him to take a step back to keep his balance. "You have an exit in mind?" she asked staring into his big, dark eyes. He nodded stoic as ever. Ali nodded back and glanced around the corner ignoring the wild spray of bullets that told her the mercs were just trying to distract them. The three mercs were in a classic arrow formation with one slightly farther into her apartment hiding behind one of her chairs while the other two were about seven feet to either side of him also hiding behind various furniture. All three were human. _Fancy that. Too easy._

When the bullets stopped flying, Ali silently rolled out into the open waiting patiently for heads to pop back up. When one presented itself, she squeezed off a round mercilessly until the final one panicked and ran for the door. That time she shot twice into his center mass. Rising to her feet, she glanced up at the door seeing a line of other mercs waiting for the dust to clear. Her eyes widened before she nodded at the Drell who was leaning against the wall holding his side. Her eyes searching his body looking for any more damage except the bullet wound and finding none she lifted her eyebrows expectantly at him. He blinked before grabbing her around the waist and shooting out the window before four more mercs bottlenecked through the door. Right as he dove, she shot over his shoulder taking out another two before she couldn't see into her apartment any longer. They plunged into a free fall, and Thane started glowing blue as he prepared to slow them down before hitting the pavement below. Ali closed her eyes pressing her face into his shoulder hardening her grip on his waist.

They hit the pavement hard but not with enough force to break any bones. Both rolled a few feet before lying still for a couple moments. Ali was the first up, and she crawled over to Thane turning him over. "Are you all right?" she asked gently pushing on his bloody side.

"Yes. Are you?"

"I'm not the one who got shot. Come on, we have to get out of here before more mercs show up." She helped him to his feet wrapping one of his arms around her shoulders to provide support.

He was bloody and exhausted from exerting his biotics to stop their fall an hour later, and Ali was practically dragging him along with her. "We have to find a place to get you patched up otherwise you're going to lose consciousness, and I will not be able to carry you anywhere."

"We have to keep on the move," he said raggedly between breaths.

"Did you not hear me? If you lose consciousness, we are not going to be moving anywhere, anytime soon." He blinked at her then nodded letting her lead him in a different direction.

"Who are you?"

"Ali, remember?"

"More accurately, what are you?"

"It's a very long story, and we do not have the time to go over it now."

"Are you a soldier?"

"No," she said simply hesitating for a few seconds before continuing. "I'm something else."

"What?" He could see the pain in her eyes, but his curiosity to know this woman won over his usual politeness.

"I will explain when you are not in danger of dying."

* * *

When they practically fell through the door of an apartment, Ali helped the Drell lie down on the couch and glanced up at the man who was pointing a pistol at them. Their eyes met for a brief moment before she set to work helping Thane out of his jacket and vest. "Mark, please grab me a towel." Slowly the man lowered his weapon knowing she wasn't afraid of it before taking the few steps to the kitchen where he threw her a towel. Though Thane's vision was fuzzy at best, he assessed the room for habit's sake finding exits and cover. He watched as the human male closed the door after looking up and down the hall.

"Were you followed?" he asked halfheartedly like he all ready knew the answer.

"Of course not. I may not have done this for a while, but I am not an idiot." He ignored her jibe.

"What's his story?" He gestured towards the bleeding man.

"Mark, are you going to help me or just sit their asking questions? Please boil some water, so I can sterilize," she snapped resorting to harshness since he wasn't getting the fact that someone was dying on his couch. He nodded finally, and setting down his weapon, he moved toward his stove. Thane looked up at her seeing her eyes tighten ever so slightly when she examined his wound. She was scared that she was going to lose him, and while he didn't understand why she felt this way about an assassin, he felt it was his responsibility to comfort her. Before he could act though, her eyes hardened again blocking off her emotions. "Hold this here. I need to get my medical kit." He placed his hand over hers pushing down hard biting back his wince. Ali moved over to her bag where she dropped it, and pulled out her smaller medical kit.

When Mark brought a bowl of still boiling water, she dropped the needle into the water and nodded over a lamp on the side table which he brought closer pointing in at the wound. "Do you want me to knock you out for this? I can promise you that it will hurt a lot. I don't have an anesthetic," she asked when she pulled on gloves and started stringing the needle.

"There is no need."

Ali's fingers tingled painfully as she thoroughly washed the blood off her, but it definitely wasn't as bad as it would have been for a normal person. Though her fingers were starting to stiffen from all the toxins, she could feel her body fighting off what a normal person would be feeling, and she found herself thanking the Fac for a small part of what they gave her. Mark watched carefully from where he leaned against the doorframe to the kitchen. She glanced over at him taking in his attributes for the millionth time since she met him so long ago. His light hair was shoulder length and held back in a ponytail. His face was handsome though not remarkable enough to draw all eyes. He was wearing a t-shirt that was tight enough to show off his great physique but not enough to be called a muscle shirt. He had on dark jeans and leather work boots. "Are you all right?" he asked carefully gauging her reactions. She hesitated concentrating on cleaning the blood off her instruments.

"I didn't want to get into any of this again," she said almost too quietly for him to hear.

"I know. Can you tell me what happened?" He walked so that he was standing close but not too close to make her uncomfortable and leaned against the oven behind him. He grabbed her hands and started scrubbing the blood off himself. She smile faintly up at him and let the man clean what little remained of the blood.

"I witnessed an assassination a few nights ago. I suppose that his contract specified no witnesses. He had the chance to kill me, and I would have let him. His employer probably wasn't happy that he let me live, so he sent mercs after both of us. He saved my life today."

"He put your life in danger in the first place," he said loudly before continuing in a hushed voice. "I don't know how you can trust him."

"I just do, Mark. Don't question my instincts." He let out a breath before running a hand through his hair and looking over his shoulder. Mark put the towel back in the sink and crossed his arms giving her a serious look before changing the subject.

"So do you think he was trained by the Hanar?"

"I believe so. His style fits, but I don't really know why he does his contracts up close and personal. If he had just used his rifle, I wouldn't have been the wiser."

"They are very disciplined in their ways. Why would he risk his contract by sparing you?"

"I have no idea." Ali grabbed a soaked towel quickly rinsing off the blood before she went into the next room to kneel beside the Drell. After looking into his eyes for a second, she started to clean the blood from around the sutures.

"How are you feeling?" His eyes tightened in pain when she ran the cloth directly over the wound. She whispered an apology concentrating again on being as gentle as possible.

"You do good work. I can barely feel it, and it seems like I will be able to move around in a short time." This made her laugh quietly.

"You're going to have a pretty ugly scar. Unfortunately my training doesn't deal with aesthetics." Ali looked up into his gaze unwaveringly. His eyes were the most interesting things she had ever seen, dark and mysterious with a pop of dark green as his pupils. She also noticed there was a small flame of life in them unlike the first night she saw them. She found she was drowning in his gaze before forcing herself to find her focus again.

"It will be one to match many." She broke eye contact looking down at her work.

Ali sat down getting ready to tell a story that she had tried so hard to forget. "I promised you an explanation."

"If it is too difficult to discuss, you do not have to."

"You spared my life once and saved it once. You deserve to know everything." She looked over at Mark who was seated by the window. He didn't look at her but nodded subtly. "Back on Earth, there is what we called the Facility. It was run by the military, very hush, hush because it went against a lot of laws and treaties. The facility's purpose was to bring all these gifted children to one place and train them to become the most lethal weapons possible. They found these kids through a mixture of physical and mental tests. You know basic sports physicals and intelligence exams with several key questions in them.

"We were trained to be soldiers, assassins, spies, intelligence gatherers, or espionage specialists. Really the possibilities were endless. My ranks were Alpha10 which was assassin ranked ten. Ten being the highest rank. Sierra10 which was a soldier. Tango09 which was a tech." Mark snorted to himself which earned him a glare from Ali. "India10 which was an infiltrator and spy. Mike10 which was a mercenary. Victor10 which was a vanguard of the charge or of the command. CharlieSierra10 which was a combat specialist. HotelHotel10 which was hand to hand combat. WhiskeySierra which was weapons specialist. Mark is much the same though he ranks a little lower than me in several places except tech, and he has a few different specialties than I.

"Several of us escaped before the camp was destroyed. We still don't really know who did it, whether it was our government or someone else's. Though we do suspect it was our own government cleaning house. Anyways, Mark and I are two of the escapees along with about two dozen others," she explained slowly choosing her words carefully and constantly looking at Mark waiting for a nod of approval.

Thane said nothing for a long time silently mulling over the information he was just given. It was hard to believe that this big a secret was kept from anyone especially from the Hanar with their contacts. "You're not going to tell anyone about us, are you?" Mark asked no longer able to contain his agitation. The Drell looked up at him in bewilderment.

"It is not my secret to tell," he said simply glancing over at Ali who looked withdrawn.

"How long do you think we have before we have to move on, Mark?"

"Well, it's going to be hard to find a connection between you and me. All the files from way back then were probably destroyed. They will be checking the hospitals and medical stations first since your Drell was injured. But eventually they will move on to the docks and search for a Drell traveling off world with a human female. And that's after they search through all your history, well histories," he corrected with a wink before continuing. "And since you have a key to my place, this might be one of the second places they look after not finding any sign of you anywhere and at the hospitals. So I would give you about twelve hours before they break my door down. Probably less if they have the credits to bring the Shadow Broker into this mess."

Thane was astounded by how much the human knew about the workings of the Citadel and all the data that was collected there. But he didn't miss the condescending tone every time Mark referred to him as a Drell instead of by his name. He almost let himself dislike the man, but he remembered what the Hanar had taught him about other races: that they rarely trusted anyone who looked or acted different from them.

"Then we will sleep here for the rest of tonight and leave in the morning giving us plenty of time before they knock on your door. Is that all right with you?"

"Absolutely. Ali, you look like you are going to fall off that chair. Why don't you get some sleep?" She shook her head looking out the window.

"We should probably sleep in shifts just in case something does happen." He rolled his eyes knowing full well she wasn't looking at him.

"Fine, I will take the first one. Wake you in four hours. Now go to bed. You can use mine." She nodded distractedly rising to her feet giving Thane one last look.

"Are you going to be all right sleeping here? We can always try to move you to the bed."

"No, this is more than I deserve."

"Don't be silly. You saved my ass more than once today. You deserve a good night's rest."

"Ali," Mark said in a warning tone making her give him a glare before turning towards the bedroom.

"Goodnight, you two. See you in four hours."

* * *

Mark sat at the window dutifully looking out at the Citadel. "You had better take care of her," he said quietly without inflection.

"I intend to," Thane replied.

"When we escaped, we went into business for ourselves using the training that horrible place gave to us. It went on for a few months before something happened during one of our jobs. She never told me, but I know it was bad. After that, she turned her back on all this. She wanted a normal life, and until now, she got it."

"I apologize for putting her in danger. I do have a question though: why is she doing this? I was prepared to save her then hide her away. She acts like she wants to come with me to kill my employer." Mark smiled at his own private joker before turning to the Drell.

"Ali is a very different woman. She doesn't like being taken care of. Trust me I have tried and failed on many occasions. It's infuriating yet it's what makes her even more special than she all ready is."

"Will she let me protect her then?"

"Probably not but I won't forbid you from trying."

Mark looked out the window again, and there was silence for several long moments. "Now I have a question for you, Sere Krios." Thane inclined his head slightly. "Why didn't you kill her?"

"I saw something in her that I have never seen before. It was almost like a frozen fire in her eyes. She looked like a warrior angel."

"Just don't get her killed, Krios," Mark huffed looking back out the window. Thane noticed that the human's hand tightened into a fist until his knuckles turned white. He frowned trying to figure out what he had said to offend the man, but then maybe it was something else entirely bothering him. The Drell didn't trust Mark, but then again, he only had to marginally trust that he wouldn't betray Ali in less than a night.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: For those of you who are returning, welcome back! I hope you enjoyed chapter one and are going to enjoy chapter 2. Thanks to those who are following this story, those who have put it in your favorites, and a special thanks to DestinyIntertwined who reviewed chapter one. Anyways, see you guys next week, same place. **

* * *

Mark didn't wake up Ali. He stayed dutifully at the window all night looking out for trouble until the Citadel lightened with the early dawn. Ali charged out of his room dressed in one of his long shirts and punched him in the shoulder blade causing maximum pain with minimum damage. "I thought I told you to wake me up," she spat when he finished howling in pain. Thane got to his feet getting ready to leave the room. "You, sit down," she ordered pointing at him.

"I wasn't aware that was an order," Mark said with a cocky grin while working the pain out of his shoulder. She snorted shaking her head at him.

"You're so full of shit."

"Thank-you." He smiled wanly before putting on a more serious face. "Besides it's not like I have to be at work this morning or something. Settle down, Ali." She narrowed her eyes dangerously then turned her glare on the Drell who had dutifully sat back down.

"And you, why didn't you wake me up?" He hesitated glancing between the two humans. He wasn't used to dealing with conflict that didn't have something to do with a hit.

"I don't feel comfortable putting myself in this argument." Mark bit back a chuckle when she gave him a death glare over her shoulder.

"Men," she muttered stomping past them both into the kitchen where she started making coffee.

"She kind of has a stick stuck up her ass about being the boss," Mark warned as quietly as he could.

"I heard that," she called.

"And she has the hearing of a cat," he shouted his mouth turning up in a cocky grin.

A few minutes later, she walked back into the living room cradling a mug in her hands. She took a sip before looking between the two men who were staring at her. "Do you have an alternate identification?" she finally asked looking over at the Drell. He was at a momentary loss because of her change in mood.

"Yes."

"Then be ready in an hour."

"I will get your new ID ready, Ali," Mark said taking a small bag out of her pack. She nodded grabbing her pack and moving back into his room to change.

"Is she always that," Thane drifted off for a second thinking of the right word, "Lively in the morning?"

"Usually she is worse. She must be losing her edge."

* * *

Ali stepped out the bedroom sliding her pistol into the holster at her hip. Her knife was all ready in the sheath across her lower back. There was also something he couldn't identify on her thigh. It was short and black. It looked like it was made of metal, but as he kept staring, he still couldn't figure out what it was. "You kept the uniform?" Mark asked with laughing eyes but he wisely kept the smile off his face.

"That's because it looks brilliant." He chuckled taking a scalpel out of a bowl of boiling water.

"Who do you want to be this time?" She smiled faintly leaning against the kitchen counter moving the bottom of her high ponytail off her back and over her left shoulder out of the way. Pulling down the zipper on the front of her armor a little, she peeled it off her shoulder getting it out of the way as well.

"Oh, surprise me." She glanced over at Thane who was standing in the shadows and smiled at him.

Mark pushed the remaining hair out of the way making sure to let his warm hands brush against her soft skin just to see her react. She tensed almost imperceptibly and unconsciously leaned into him. With a faint smile which he immediately wiped from his face that Thane noticed anyway, he quickly slit a vertical cut into the back of her shoulder and pulled the chip out with a pair of miniature pliers. It was about an inch long and a quarter of an inch wide. The strip was flexible like a piece of scotch tape but was a computer chip with glowing bluish, green circuitry. He coated the new chip in medigel and smoothly inserted it. She rubbed a little more medigel on the cut putting her armor back into place and pulling on a pair of gloves. "It's almost like you've done this before."

"Oh, only a few times," he joked putting the scalpel and pliers back into the pot of boiling water. He pulled the instruments back out of the water and placed them back into their bag and stuffed it in her pack. Mark smiled again giving her a sly look. "Poor, Ali Winters, she never stood a chance," he said holding up the used strip before setting it on fire.

"I liked her too." Thane took a step out of the shadows and looked between the two humans. Mark caught the look from the Drell and cleared his throat. "Who am I now again?"

"Let's see," he murmured scanning her with his tool. "Ali Daniels. You were born on one of the colonies. Moved here a few years ago when you made enough money to get off the streets. You work as a receptionist for a well known company that doesn't actually exist."

"Hm, Ali Daniels, I like it. I should stick with it for a while." He smiled at her.

"I like it too. It suits you." He sobered slightly and glanced up at her through his eyelashes. "Be careful and make it back in one piece, Ali," he murmured. She smiled and pulled him into a hug.

"You know me."

"Exactly."

* * *

"Were you two ever together?" Thane asked while they were in a cab. She looked over at him in surprise.

"No, never. Maybe at some point we thought it might happen, but it never did. We take care of each other, always have." She hesitated a moment before meeting his dark eyes. "What's the plan?" He nodded knowing that she was uncomfortable with the subject.

"Though I was initially contracted by the Hanar, I met with a point of contact on Illium. Maybe we can persuade him to tell us who ordered the initial hit. I suggest we start there."

"So you _were_ trained by the Hanar?"

"Yes, my family was honored to be asked to hand me over as a part of the Compact that saved my people from their dying world. They send me out to take the lives of their enemies. The man I killed that night was hiring mercenaries to attack Hanar civilizations on the edges of our system. He wanted to be the one who came to the rescue and kill the mercs, so he would garner support for some sort of office."

"That's horrible. How many died before you killed him?"

"Too many, and they all lay heavily on my conscience."

"So we will have to get passage on a ship bound for Illium," she said after a few silent moments.

"The next one leaves tomorrow."

"I will get the tickets. A Drell is too noticeable."

"I would feel more secure if I went with you."

"It's not up to you. A Drell and a human together is too conspicuous. If I go in alone there is less of a chance of anything happening." After a few moment's hesitation, he nodded silently starting a prayer to Arashu for her protection.

Ali walked up to the ticket booth. She had left all her weapons except her knife with Thane, so she would seem normal. The Asari greeted her then began to order the tickets while Ali slowly scanned the room. "Just scan your ID, and everything is all set." She pushed the button on the console letting the scanner do its work, and the tickets showed up on her omni-tool with an almost imperceptible, "Ding." She said her thanks and started across the room. Two Turians walked towards her, one stared down at his omni-tool while the other flicked at his pistol nervously. Ali quickened her pace until she was out on the street and around the corner before grabbing her knife. _Turians._ This mercenary group obviously didn't know who they were messing with. Humans, Turians, and Salarians were the easiest things to kill because of minimal armor and no regeneration. Turians were the hardest of that group because of their natural armor an adaptation to Palavan's environment, but if you got the knife it just right, it was like slicing through butter. If these people wanted to kill her, they needed to send in something with a little more kick like a krogan. She could kill one or two with little trouble, but if it was a pack, she would be overwhelmed in no time.

The hairs on the back of her neck rose, and she narrowly dodged the bullet. _Well that was close._ As the other charged ignoring that the first could have easily killed her with another few shots because she could not dodge bullets like some kind of freak, she felt herself smile at their own stupidity and leapt to the side launching herself off the wall bringing her knife down as hard as she could. Luckily he wasn't wearing a helmet, and it cleanly sliced through his skull and plating; and he fell dead. Without taking a breath, she kicked the pistol out of the other Turian's hand and jammed the knife into his neck. The body had barely hit the floor by the time she was around the corner moving down the street to the cab where Thane waited for her.

Thane saw the blood on her hands first before he looked up at her. "Are you all right?" he asked concern in his eyes.

"Yes, just a few Turians who thought I would be the easier kill. They shot first, so I had to fight back." She smiled sadly. "I didn't see a way of letting them live."

* * *

Thane glanced up at Ali who was sitting with her knees pulled up to her chin as she read through the news on her omni tool. She was sitting in the middle of the bed, and as he insisted, he was on the floor where he was supposed to be meditating. His eyes traveled up and down her body. She was wearing an over sized shirt that slipped off her shoulder and jeans. Her loosely curly orange hair fell in a curtain around her face, and her brown-hazel eyes were darting over the words of the news lines. Realizing he was staring opening, he looked down at his hands. He had never been with many people of different species other than Drell and the Hanar. She sighed and threw the datapad onto the end of the bed away from her. "Is there any news about your friend?" he asked quietly looking up at her again.

"No, but I suppose no news is good news."

"Indeed." She ran her hand through her hair pushing it out of her face before glancing over at him.

"What are we going to do when we get to Illium?"

"Gather intel on our next step."

"How do you propose we start that?"

"Make contact with the person who hired me and follow the paper trail to the one who actually hired me." She stared at him for several seconds thinking everything through.

"What do we do if he refuses to talk?" There was a long silence as he just stared at her, and she nodded slowly understanding what he was getting at. "If you don't mind, I am going to get some sleep. I know I will not be able to sleep on the ship with all the noise."

"Frigates don't make too much noise."

"To a genetically modified human being it is." She turned over and closed her eyes without putting the sheets over her or turning off the light. He waited until her breath slowed and evened out before getting to his feet and turning off the light. When he passed her on the way back to his spot, he gently placed a blanket over her.

* * *

Thane quickly scanned the small two person room of the frigate looking for ways of escape. Ali squeezed past him since the room was narrow and put her bag in the overhead. He caught her scent when she passed: cinnamon and vanilla. It made him tense and suck in a breath. She sat down on one of the benches and took out a datapad. He sat down on the opposite side and looked at her warily. "I am curious," he started. She looked up at him putting down her datapad. "Can you tell me about this place that you and Mark were raised in?" She shrugged.

"I guess so. The Facility was initially government owned. I have a feeling they went their separate ways near the end since the Alliance destroyed the base. The people usually took a young child from their parents if they received certain scores on tests. Don't ask me what the tests were meant for or how they got the kids away from their parents. I was taken when I was born. I've heard that my mother died in child birth, and I've heard that they told her I died. Either way, I was taken from the hospital and trained since then.

"There were many different classes that children were sorted into like soldiers, tech, biotic specialists, assassins, infiltrators, spies, and what not. A select few were trained in all of them. I was one of them. It took about a year give or take to master every class. Once you mastered them, you were allowed out on jobs. It made it so that you weren't overwhelmed on your first job." He listened without interrupting and nodded when she finished.

"What about the people there?"

"It wasn't just us. We were called 'Next Generation Soldiers' by a lot of the others. There were a bunch of teachers and trainers. And of course, there were the Handlers."

"Handlers?"

"Yeah, each soldier was assigned a Handler. Their formal jobs were to keep us under control, but it went a lot deeper than that. From the beginning, we learned to trust them with our lives because we were housed with them until after ten years of age. I slept on a mat in the corner of the room. The Handlers were also the justice and punishment system in the Fac. When we did something against the rules or were disrespectful, it was up to your Handler to exact the punishment they felt was due."

"And what did that entail?"

"Physical punishments mostly. Like beatings. Sometimes, if it was really bad, then-" she trailed off as looked into the distance like she wasn't even there. Thane let her drift not wanting to interrupt her memories. All at once, she blinked and took a deep breath releasing it slowly. "Sorry, sometimes, it's difficult to talk about."

"I apologize if you do not wish to discuss the subject further we can talk of other things," Thane murmured. She smiled at him.

"No, sometimes it's better to talk about it, right?" Ali looked into the distance again and continued. "Both the women and the men were broken in the day we turned ten."

"Broken in?"

"Sexually. When our Handlers sexually punished us, it was the most absolute thing they could do to show us we were in the wrong." There was a long silence. Thane didn't know what to say, so he took her hand in his as silent comfort. He wasn't expecting how soft her skin would be against his scales, and he immediately wanted to know more about her. To help her heal from this past she was telling him about. To hear about her entire horrible past, so that maybe if she gave him her hidden pain, he could bear some of it for her. Then he was struck by the utter ridiculousness of what he was feeling. To feel this for a woman after so little time and for a woman of a different species no less. It was not real, was it? It couldn't be.

With a quick shake of her head, Ali smiled at him and gently pulled her hand out of his. "It's in the past. Done and over with. They can't touch me ever again." He was amazed that she could still put on a smile even after everything she had just told him. "Besides, it wasn't all bad. If it was all bad, they wouldn't have gotten the soldiers they needed out of us. In the mornings, we had combat training when they taught us how to be the killers they wanted us to be. In the afternoons, they taught us how to get close enough to do the killing: manners, etiquette, knowledge, and history. Then after dinner, we had free time. We could do whatever we wanted for those few precious hours. Go running or walking through the couple thousand acres of the Fac. It was all fenced in of course, but it was a change from the whitewashed buildings. We could visit the library and read. There were a few common areas which had pool, foosball, arcades games, and ping pong. Sometimes the Fac even had preapproved movies we were allowed to watch. Those were the times that made all the bad things worthwhile, you know?" He found himself smiling at her as well. "Now tell me about you. You were trained by the Hanar under the Compact, correct?" she asked changing the subject.

"Yes, it was a great honor to my family."

"When were you taken?"

"I was six."

"And your first kill?"

"I didn't make my first kill until I was twelve. How about you?"

"Mine was when I was fourteen. Well, my first contract kill. I had killed plenty of men before that, but it was in battle. I wasn't there to kill."

"When did you kill your first man?"

"Oh, I can't even remember." He smiled seemingly at a private joke and nodded.

"What was it like?" She chuckled and shook her head obviously remembering it.

"Hard," she said simply still with a gleeful smile on her face.

"Because you were taking the life of another living being?" She snorted and raised her eyebrows at him.

"No, in my dossier, it didn't say that he was a master in three different kinds of martial arts. It was very hard to take him out. The second one was much easier. I just waited in his office and shot him." He laughed as well. "What about you?" His eyes sobered slightly, but there was still a small half smile on his lips.

"No, it wasn't difficult at all. My body was trained to take a person's life."

Thane decided to change the subject. "What kinds of jobs did you do for the Fac?"

"That, Sere Krios, is a story for another night. You don't want to hear all the woes of my life in one sitting."

"Deal. I do expect to hear everything about you though, Miss Daniels."

"Please, it's just Ali." He nodded before lying back on the couch opposite her putting his hands behind his head.

* * *

Ali turned over and sighed. She couldn't sleep over the noise of the engines, and it was killing her. Getting out of bed without a sound, she left the room and walked down the hall towards the ship's common area. She sat down on one of the couches pulling her feet up underneath her. Closing her eyes, she took several calming breaths, and when she found she was still too antsy, she stood up sinking into a Tai-Chi ready position. Her movements were fluid as she flawlessly went through the first form before going deeper into the ready position and starting on the second form. As she started the third, she heard footsteps coming down the hall. Heavy footsteps like the people making the sound were wearing or holding something heavy. Opening her eyes, Ali saw a few Blue Sun mercs come in through one of the doors. Not missing a beat, she slid behind a couch, the first few silent shots missing her narrowly. _Damnit. Can I not get fifteen minutes of peace?_

Like most mercs, they decided to push their advantage thinking just because they have armor with paint on it that they were unstoppable. And thinking she was just a little girl, they thought she was going to be an easy kill cowering behind cover just waiting for death. Well, she was waiting but not for what they thought. When the first one came into view, Ali lunged to her feet grabbing the human's head snapping his neck in one smooth motion. Pushing the next one's pistol away from her, she reached out swiping the closest thing she could find which was a datapad from a side table. Ali shoved the edge of it into his neck finding she needed to put extra force behind it to get through the armor around his neck. Wincing at the sound his windpipe made when she crushed it and the gargling noise coming from him as he fell to the floor, she pushed herself past him trying to push it out of her mind. She flung the pad making the Turian in front of her lose focus trying to dodge it. Moving to within hugging distance of the Turian, she grabbed his mandible and yanked him painfully to the floor before grabbing his fringe and chin breaking his neck.

Glancing around the room and taking in the destruction she had caused, Ali closed her eyes as if in pain and collapsed. Her breathing came in short gasps, and she put her arms over her knees. Deep down she knew she should be getting rid of the bodies before anyone found they couldn't sleep and came to the common area as well. She just couldn't bring herself to do it. Everything she had worked so hard at suppressing was coming back in full force. It was like she was at the Fac all over again, killing people that she didn't know. That hadn't done anything to her except threaten her own life. Was she really that selfish? Did she have a say in who died and who didn't? _No, you don't Alisa. You have no more right to go on living than these mercs. And you have even less than a right than any civilian on this ship._

Ali glanced around the room again shaking off the sudden dark turn her conscience had taken. She wrote it off as being out of practice with all the death her own hands could cause. Getting to her feet, she hauled one of the men up by his armpits and dragged him to the nearest airlock. When she was done disposing of the bodies, she went back to the room finding that she was relaxed enough to sleep but dreading that she was probably going to have nightmares.

* * *

"There were Blue Suns here on the ship? How did they know we would be here?" Thane asked the next morning when she told him what happened.

"I don't think they did. Maybe mercs were placed on every outbound ship to try and take us out. They seemed like they were just doing a routine guard cycle."

"And you took them all out without firing your weapon?" he asked slowly. Her brow furrowed.

"There were only three of them. Two humans and one Turian. It wasn't that hard."

"Your hand to hand rivals mine." She grinned at him.

"I was trained since I was born. Some of it was bound to rub off."

"What were you trained in maybe I have heard of it?"

"Let's see the Filipino style of pekiti-tirsia kali and eskrima, American boxing, Chinese tai chi, Israeli karav ma ga, and a little Asian kung fu," she listed. "They taught us that many different kinds because they wanted us to be able to fight anyone in any situation."

"I have heard of a few of those particularly tai chi, boxing, and kung fu because of old vids but not the other ones."

"The Filipino styles are a little more of a dirty fighting. Nerve clusters, joints. Getting in close and being able to fight with anything in the room even a pen. Fast take downs with minimal movement and force. It's pretty hard when you first start out but very rewarding once you master it."

"I might have to watch a few vids. I can always improve." She gave him a look before shaking her head. "What?"

"Nothing. I thought your style was very effective. There is no reason to change it." He put his elbows on his knees clasping his hands in front of him before a small smile flickered across his lips.

"That's very intriguing. Thank you for the complement."

"No problem."

* * *

It was a few days later when the intercom crackled to life and announced, "We are landing at Nos Astra in five minutes. Thank you for flying with us today and we hope you enjoy your time on Illium."

"Let's get to this contact of yours, shall we?" she asked picking up her bag.

"Indeed."

"My contact frequents a club called The Fade. It's in the less than high-end side of Nos Astra where the rich business people go to have a taste of the other life without reporters following them."

"That was a nice way of saying the slums, Thane," Ali joked as they walked through the markets near the docks.

"I will not be able to approach him. As soon as he sees me, he will either bolt or tell the people who are after us where we are."

"That means I have to do it."

"I am afraid so."

"Where is this place again?" He opened his mouth to speak but she cut him off with a gesture. "Nevermind, send the directions to my tool and meet me there. I have to find something to wear." He cocked his head to the side, his brow furrowing slightly. She winked in answer before walking away leaving him gaping after her.


	3. Chapter 3

Thane waited in the shadows around the corner from the club. He could feel the vibrations of the bass from where he was standing. His contact had all ready entered the club, and the Drell was beginning to get impatient. Pushing his frustration down since it was one of the few flaws that he was working on controlling; he looked down the street to see orange hair in the dimness. The clicking of her stiletto heels was sharp rising above the volume of the throbbing bass. His eyes ran up her slight body as he drank in the sight of her.

Ali was wearing skin tight pants with cutouts high on her thighs and the pant line was low on her hips showing off her hipbones and well toned obliques. She had on a simple black t-shirt cutoff right above her belly button and a scoop neck that showed off the tops of her breasts. For once her loosely curly orange hair was loose, and it came down to her lower ribs. Her eye color popped against her kohl lined eyes making them that much more hypnotizing. Letting out the breath he didn't know he was holding, he swallowed thickly trying to ignore his body's reaction to her.

"So? Do you think I can attract your contact?" she asked smiling coyly at him.

"I believe you will attract any male in there including a good amount of females, Siha," he said giving her another appreciative once over. She cocked her head slightly but decided to question him later.

"Then let's get your man. What does he even look like?" He pulled up an image on his tool showing it to her. She nodded sharply before looking around the corner at the entrance with a long line forming outside it. "Wait for me by the rear exit. I will bring him out." His eyes betrayed his aversion of letting her do this alone, but he wisely pushed down the feeling and nodded slowly.

"Be careful," he murmured before turning and going down the alley. Taking a deep breath, she tossed her hair one last time before confidently striding towards the bouncers. She drew every eye as she passed the long line of people, and the Turian bouncer slowly looked her up and down before nodding at his Krogan friend who let her step into the club. She winked at the Turian and walked into the din without so much as a backward glance.

Once inside, Ali glanced around before walking into the crowd as she searched for her target. The entire middle of the room was a dance floor with several couches and tables surrounding it. The floor was packed with writhing bodies of almost every species, and the music had the kind of beat that made people want to at least move to it. She spotted Thane's contact on one of the couches with a group of other men. They looked to be talking business which was weird in a place like this. She just hoped she could draw his attention. A flash of green caught her eye, and she looked up to see Thane melting into the crowd. Her brow furrowed in slight anger. If he couldn't trust her to get a man outside, why was she even here?

Ignoring the flash of indignation, she walked over to the couches brushing past close enough that her target would notice her if he wasn't too enthralled by the conversation. He glanced up which made her smile inwardly. Ali looked over her shoulder and winked at him before moving into the dancing crowd. Stepping behind an Asari, she let the pulsing beat worm its way into her, and she started to dance. She closed her eyes lifting her arms above her head and moving her hips seductively. It was only a short while before she felt hands traveling from her hips to her upper thighs. Glancing over her shoulder, she confirmed that it was Thane's contact and continued in her dance.

When she felt that he was hard and throbbing against her lower back, Ali turned putting an arm around his neck and her other was in her hair. He placed a hand on her behind bringing her closer as he pressed himself into her. His head tilted back as he rubbed against her slightly. Knowing he would follow her anywhere, she leaned into his ear making sure to hit it with her hot breath before whispering, "Do you want to go somewhere private before I ride you hard right here on the dance floor?" His cock twitched against her, and she had to fight hard to not take a step away from him. _Damn, I am rusty at this. But still, yuck._ He nodded not being able to contain his grin. She took his hand, and they made their way across the club to the back door. There were several men and women of varying species in the alley either making out or smoking. She led him past the group into the darkness farther down the alley away from any prying eyes. Before she could go any further, he pinned her roughly against the wall and licked her neck. _That's disgusting__._ Before she could respond, he had one hand on her breast and the other travelling down her abdomen to the hem of her pants.

Thane came out of the darkness and grabbed his contact's shoulder throwing him against the wall on the other side of the alley. His eyes were clouded with anger as he turned to pick the human up and slam him against the wall. "Are you all right?" he growled over his shoulder ignoring the man's gasps. "Did he hurt you?" Ali took a breath making a mental note to never invoke the Drell's rage before taking the few steps to Thane's side. She gently touched his shoulder, and his dark eyes met hers barely visible in the dimness of the alley.

"I'm fine, Thane," she said calmly. His eyes cleared ever so slightly before his gaze traveled over the nearly strangled man in his grasp. _His eyes have changed again. Hm, that's strange. This time, his eyes are like living things. It's truly amazing._

"Krios, what are you doing here?" the man managed clawing at the Drell's hand.

"We're here for information on my employer."

"You mean the one who's trying to kill you because you didn't do your job?" He looked over at Ali who was still behind Thane's shoulder. His eyes narrowed. "This must be the person you didn't kill. I can see why you didn't. She is a sexy little bitch. What did you do to change his mind, honey?" Thane slammed the back of the man's head against the wall behind him. It cracked against the hard surface, and Ali winced in sympathy.

"If you speak to the young woman like that again, it will be the last thing you say," he growled dangerously.

"Yeah, okay, okay, Krios. No need to cause any damage. I don't know who exactly the guy is. I was hired by a middle man to hire you. The identity was hush, hush, okay? I'll tell you everything I know. He's going to be here on Illium tomorrow."

"Talk quickly then," he hissed not letting his grip on the man's neck lessen.

* * *

Ali came out of the bathroom without the heavy makeup on and her hair in the normal high pony tail with the bangs around her face hanging free to right below her jaw line. She was wearing loose jeans with a hole in one of the knees and a sleeveless gray shirt. He noticed the shirt was a little short and showed off a sliver of skin right at her hipbones. He tried to ignore it but felt his blood heat up anyways. "Thane, are you all right?" she asked pulling her knees up to her chin. He was sitting on the floor trying to rein in his temper through meditation. She worked at ignoring the fact that he was wearing simple cotton pants and an open necked black shirt and focused instead on his face. His eyes flickered open, and he gazed up at her. There was still anger there, but he looked a little less like he was going to kill everyone in sight.

"I admit. I am not used to emotions like this. I have been trained to keep any emotions in check, to not let them run my life. I would have killed that man today if you hadn't been there. It would not have been only my body taking his life either. I would have murdered him for purely personal reasons. I don't know what to make of my actions."

"You were jealous, and you were protecting my honor." He cocked his head furrowing his brow ever so slightly. "You saw that man touch me in a way that you didn't like and say things about me that made you angry. It was a totally normal response. There's nothing wrong with it. We're partners. Any partner of mine from the Facility would have done the same thing." He shook his head and got to his feet starting to pace the hotel room.

"You don't understand. The Hanar conditioned all of this out of me. This is not how I am supposed to be acting." Ali got to her feet and grabbed his wrist making him stop and look at her.

"Thane, you can't always live this half life that you made for yourself. It may make you a good assassin, but if you feel for the people you are protecting by killing your target, it will make you great. I know that it's easier to kill with no emotional attachments, but it won't make you a man. It will only make you a killer." She paused, waiting for him to say something, but when he remained silent, she continued. "You should have seen yourself on that first night. Your eyes were dead. Then tonight, they looked alive for the first time since I've met you."

Thane pulled himself free before putting his face in his hands. He leaned a forearm against the wall and closed his eyes shaking his head slightly.

"Siha, what should I do?" he asked quietly.

"I don't know if I can tell you that. You have to go with your gut on things like this. All I can say if that not feeling is unhealthy." Glancing over at her, he let himself smile faintly.

"I can kill people of every species without so much as a second thought, but when it comes to feeling for them, I find that I have to question my entire existence. What have you done to me, Siha?" A corner of her mouth turned up but instead of answering his question she asked one of her own.

"What does that mean? It feels like my translator is glitching."

"Maybe someday I will tell you what it means."

* * *

"So this Turian, Trictus Remerian, is a businessman. I looked him up, and it seems all of his ventures are strictly honorable," Ali said when she came out of the bathroom in a business woman's dress. She had the collar unbuttoned, and she was working on taming her wild hair into a bun.

"You will find that most rich business men with a clean record are the ones who deal with the most criminal organizations," Thane said from where he was double checking his sniper rifle. She managed to get her hair back into a neat bun after a bit of cursing, and she clipped her bangs back as well.

"He's opening another office here, so I should have no trouble getting in with the reporters. But getting the answers from there might be a little tough without attracting attention. This is one I won't be able to seduce to get the answers."

"I would like it more if you didn't, Siha," he muttered.

"Still a little touchy about last night, Thane?" He glared up at her, and she bit her lip to keep her smile under control. "Let me think."

"We don't have much time. His speech is in less than an hour." He looked expectantly at her. He was still trying to get used to working with someone else, so he let her decide how she wanted to handle this since it was her life that was going to be in danger. She pulled up a view of the street where the speech was going to be taking place on her omni tool and moved it around examining it from every angle as well as the surrounding area.

"I have an idea, but it can be a little risky."

"I don't want to risk your well being." He was surprised by the painful tightening in his chest at the thought of her being injured, and he couldn't even contemplate her being killed.

"Little risk if we do it right. You can be on the roof of a building across the street from where the speech is going to take place. When I get to the front of the crowd, you fire at him but don't kill him. Hopefully in the resulting chaos, I will be able to take out his bodyguards and get him away from the crowd after which we can interrogate him."

"Where would we meet up assuming you can get a hold of him?"

"The building on the other side of the bridge is unfinished, and it's going to be abandoned."

"That's going to be a lot of distance to travel possibly under fire." She smirked at him.

"I trust you to keep them off me. I'll hold Remerian on the fourteenth floor until you show up when the heat dies down."

"I don't like it, but this is the only thing that might work."

* * *

Ali walked past the guard after flashing her identification and joined the crowd of reporters waiting for the speech. She got a few questioning glances because no camera was following in her wake, but she ignored them instead heading farther into the group trying to make her way near the front. "I am in position, Siha," Thane said into her comm. "I have eyes on you." She looked back and nodded subtly just enough that he would see it. Slipping between men and women, she finally made it to the front though there were a few angry huffs about her less than polite manner.

Glancing around, there were about six bodyguards most of them Krogan in front of the podium and another three off to the side waiting for the all clear to bring Remerian on stage. "Getting him out of here is going to be harder than I thought," she muttered into her comm.

"I didn't expect him to have all Krogan bodyguards. How are you going to get past them?" he asked. Looking around again, she focused on the two Turian bodyguards closer to the side of the stage. She made her way over there acting like she was trying to get in a better position.

"Thane, I need you to fire at as many of the Krogan as possible instead of just missing Remerian. I can take out these Turians without breaking a sweat, but the Krogan will take more time. I don't want him escaping."

"It will be done, Siha."

"It looks like they are about to bring him out on stage. Radio silence until three minutes into the speech then start shooting."

"Good luck, Siha."

"You too."

Bringing up a recording device on her omni tool to make it look like she was a reporter, Ali watched as Remerian came out on stage with a few more Turians behind him and a Salarian.

Taking a deep breath and closing her eyes, she locked away all her emotions and fears into the corner of her mind. A cold darkness started to curl like smoke out of its corner and slowly took over her body. When she opened her eyes a few moments later, they were devoid of anything except the need to kill. Her gaze swept over her targets all ready planning every move she would take to kill them and get to her target. The Turian had just started his speech thanking everyone for coming and explaining what his company did and what an honor it was to be able to expand to Illium. Glancing over her shoulder up at the building rising into the clouds behind the crowd, she thought she could see a small flash of reflection from one of the windows. Tilting her head in curiosity ever so slightly, Ali felt herself smirk up at the scope she knew was trained on her before she turned back to the Turian.

She lifted up one of her hands and flexed it loving the feeling of being back in total control of her body. Being in battle mode after a year of never slipping into it was a heady experience. She caught every sound in perfect detail. Colors and light were more brilliant. Her muscles felt like they could do more, faster and longer than they ever could. She loosened the button at the throat of her dress moving her neck around. She closed her eyes again in what seemed to be ecstasy before snapping them open when the first bullet went right through the closest Krogan's eye.

Ali lunged at the Turian in front of her bringing both hands in the shape of a knife to his eyes. His head snapped back with the sudden pain, and she brought an elbow down into his fully exposed neck. The Turian moved his head down in one quick movement, and grabbing hold of his chin and fringe, she snapped his neck cleanly. The other Turian looked over then, his reflexes not as fast as hers. She brought her heel to his knee blowing it out, and as his leg collapsed underneath him, she broke his neck as well.

Using his body as a step, she jumped onto the stage after ripping his assault rifle from him. The Turians on the stage were trying to find the shooter and protect their employer all at once making them into one chaotic mess. Ali took them all out with one spray of bullets not caring if she nicked her target as collateral. A Krogan launched himself onto the platform with a roar and charged at her. She brought her rifle up sending a mess of bullets into him before having to move aside to miss his blood rage charge. He ran past her unable to stop or turn. She sent another barrage of assault rifle fire into the backs of his knees forcing him to fall to them. Throwing aside her rifle, she sprinted at him grabbing his head in her hands and diving over him in a spin. His neck snapped with a resounding crack despite the noise of the mayhem around the stage.

She landed in a roll and glanced over at her target. He was holding a gunshot wound to the arm and was cowering in fear. "On your feet," she yelled at him when she was at his side.

"I swear. I will pay whatever you want. Just don't hurt me," he said in terror.

"I will not tell you again, Turian." He nodded enthusiastically and struggled to his feet. She bent to grab a pistol from one of the fallen bodyguards and ushered him off the platform towards the bridge behind the building he was opening. "Thane, I have the target. We are heading towards the rendezvous point."

"I will join you shortly."

* * *

Trictus Remerian was tied to a chair with some zip ties she had placed in one of her pockets. She wrapped some fiber wire slowly around her hand then unwrapped it in the same leisurely pace. The Turian was still begging her for his life in return for anything she wanted, but Ali had long since shut him out. She was leaning against a wall a little ways away from the complaining Turian because she found that if she had to listen to his crying any longer she would probably kill him. Her steely gaze roved around the shadowed building looking for danger or the Drell. She watched dust move in the slight breeze through a shaft of light with some interest when a near imperceptible foot step caught her attention. Her head shot up to see Thane in the shadows, and she relaxed her grip on the pistol. "Are you all right?" he asked quietly when he stepped into the light.

"Of course, I am," she answered with no inflection in her voice.

"Where is Remerian?" She jerked her head over her shoulder indicating the open door behind her, and she followed him in. The Turian looked up at the two of them when they entered and started to beg for his life with renewed vigor.

"Shut your fucking mouth, or I will make you, Turian." Thane glanced over at her in mild shock, but she ignored him and instead went to stand behind their hostage's shoulder.

"Remerian, we have some questions concerning an assassination that took place about a week ago. It was a Salarian politician."

"Yes, I remember. I had John hire someone he knew."

"He hired me to carry out the assassination. But now your employer is after me. I need to know his name and where he is." The Turian stared at him in confusion.

"Now," Ali said quietly. He flinched and looked back at Thane.

"I don't know where he will be. All I have is a codename and a channel that he communicates with me on." Squeezing off a few silenced rounds into the wall, Ali pressed the hot barrel of the pistol into the relatively unprotected flesh of his neck. He screamed in agony until she pulled it away with a good amount of his skin. "I swear. I swear. That's all I know. I will give you the channel. Please, just don't kill me." Thane's jaw tightened ever so slightly as he looked at Ali who was gazing on emotionlessly.

"Everything you have, now, and we'll let you go," he said calmly.

"It's all on my tool." Thane quickly hacked into the tool and went through the information before nodding at Ali that the data was good. He expected her to unbind Remerian, but instead she took a step back and leveled her pistol at the Turians head.

One shot rang out into silence.

* * *

**Author's Note: **I thought I would move the note to the bottom of the page just for a change. I guess I will see if I like it this way better or not. Anyways, thanks for reading Chapter 3. I am actually finding it difficult to only post twice a week. My excitement is getting to me, but I don't want it to go up all too fast. I don't know, opinions? Do you not care? I hope you have enjoyed my story so far, and I apologize for the "cliffhanger." But it's no fun if there aren't some surprises, right? Okay, shutting up now. If you could review, that would be awesome. I want to know what you guys think. Love it? Hate it? "Meh" it? See you all on Friday.


	4. Chapter 4

The Turian started to blabber on again though none of his words made sense through his tears. Ali found herself looking into Thane's black eyes with the dark green irises, and her gaze snapped back to life. His eyes searched hers, and they were as hard as flint. She couldn't tell if he was angry or if it was instincts she was seeing. Thane had his hand pushed against her wrist pointing her arm to the ceiling where the plaster was still smoking slightly. Her eyes searched his in confusion then the memory of what she was going to do hit her. Letting the pistol drop from her hand with a loud clatter, she closed her eyes for a second clearing whatever battle mode remained in her consciousness and locking it away into the darkness of her mind. Slowly the Drell let go of her arm and went to release the Turian who immediately scampered away. "Siha, are you all right?" She looked up at him expecting to see horror in his gaze, but there was only concern where she sought rejection.

"Yes, I'm sorry. I don't know where that came from."

"We need to get out of here, but I expect an explanation when we get back to safety." She nodded numbly and followed him out of the skeleton of a building.

* * *

"Do you want to talk?" Thane asked when Ali came out of the bathroom. Her orange hair was damp and hanging in strands down her back. She was wearing those loose jeans and one of the shirts that hung off her shoulder. He patted the bed beside him and moved over to make room for her. Sitting down, she took a deep breath before diving into her explanation. Her hands were still shaking slightly, but she couldn't tell if it was adrenaline or shame. Glancing up at him, Ali only really saw curiosity and concern.

"Back at the Fac, they wanted us to be the best we could possibly be. So they conditioned a part into us that made us into exactly what they wanted. It's called battle mode. When we are in it, our senses are heightened to a level way above normal humans; our reflexes are honed to within thousandths of a second, and we are beyond ruthless.

"There was only one drawback they couldn't have foreseen. If we are in battle mode for too long or too deeply, it can slowly change us. I watched a lot of upper classmen be sucked into the battle mode and changed to these horrible heartless sociopaths. I saw more than one being brought back in battle mode because they wouldn't respond to being safe worded out. The Fac would take them away, and we would never see them again. I don't know if they were killed or if they were used for the more disreputable assignments."

"So when we were with Remerian in that room?"

"I went in a little too suddenly. It had been about a year since I was in battle mode. It was a power rush, and I couldn't control it."

"You would have killed him?"

"Yes."

"And after?" he asked.

"I don't know. I would have broken out sooner or later, but I don't know what I would have done after killing him."

"Would you have killed me?"

"What? No," she exclaimed. "I'm not some mindless killer. I don't kill allies, Thane," Ali continued.

"I apologize, Siha. I didn't intend to offend you. What happened was not what I was expecting. You seemed to be someone else."

"I'm not explaining myself very well. Another part to the battle mode is that it makes me follow instructions. The Handlers would give us the mission parameters, and we were to follow them to the letter. I never killed anyone who wasn't supposed to die." He nodded slowly.

"What's a safe word?" She cocked her head trying to find the right words.

"The Fac made it so that the Handlers would only have to say a word to bring about the battle mode. Then when the mission was over. They would speak a safe word, and it was like a switch being turned off. We would be back to our normal self and have little to no memory of the time we were in battle mode."

"What were your words?" She smiled at him.

"If I were to tell you that, you would have unlimited power over me, Thane. Can I trust you with that knowledge?" The corners of his mouth turned up ever so slightly. "No one knows my words. That's one thing that I keep secret. Though at some point I am probably going to need to trust someone enough, I may prove too dangerous in the future."

"I understand."

"Do you?" The Drell's lips curved up at the corners in a half smile.

"Yes, Siha. Until recently I was in my own battle sleep." Ali cocked her head in question. When he didn't continue, she turned all the way around towards him and pulled her knees up to her chin.

"Is that how you deal with the guilt?" she asked voicing her confusion.

"Guilt? No, I've never felt any particular guilt about my contracts. My employers, the Hanar, killed them. My body is only the tool they use. If a man is killed with a gun, can the courts hold the gun responsible?"

"Of course not," she scoffed. "But your body can't choose what to do. Your mind does." A small patient smiled crossed his lips.

"When someone aims a gun at you, you pull the trigger. You don't think. It's reflex. Any combat training conditions the body's reflexes. My training was very thorough. Drell minds are different from humans'. We see our body as a vessel and accept it is not always under our control."

"So there's no responsibility for your actions?"

"Not every action performed by my body is a result of conscious choice. I take responsibility for those that are. Humans often believe in souls distinct from the body. A spirit responsible for moral reasoning that lives on after the body's death. Our belief is just a bit more literal." She thought for a few moments. _That's interesting._ He waited just watching her mull over what he said. "Do you have guilt over what you do?" Ali seemed stunned by his question, and he didn't know whether he was mistaken in asking or if she just wasn't expecting.

"Yes, I do all the time."

"Why?"

"All I ever really remember is the guilt. The rest is just a blur like seeing a dream through wax paper. I can recall enough to know that I killed a lot of people with no regret and in a very unforgiving way. That's what gives me guilty. That's what keeps me up at night."

"How do you deal with it?" She laughed without humor and looked at him.

"I don't," she answered simply. His brow ridges furrowed slightly.

"What do you mean?"

"I push it back until I can't feel it anymore. Not the healthiest way of living, but I expect that if I let myself feel it. I would have to locked in a reinforced room for weeks. And that's just about as unhealthy."

"But it would only last for a few weeks, correct? Much better than a lifetime." Laughing again, she looked away shaking her head.

"You obviously don't know how destructive I can get. I am always focusing on holding it at bay. Keeping it back. There would be quite the larger body count in my path if I didn't."

"Have you ever tried letting it out? Maybe it wouldn't be that bad."

"Were you there today?" she asked raising an eyebrow. He shook his head.

"Sometimes quitting something immediately can be the wrong choice."

"Funny. That's what they tell you to do when you're an addict."

"Well, maybe they're wrong," Thane said patiently.

"I just can't afford it. Not without someone keeping me contained. And especially not now, when I have a job to do."

"I hope you can find that someday you can let yourself feel the guilt and deal with it. To find peace."

Ali met his gaze unwaveringly, and there was tremendous sadness in her brown hazel eyes. His brow furrowed again. Almost no one met his gaze so strongly. "Maybe," she breathed knowing he could hear her perfectly. Thane took a deep breath and smiled gently at her.

"I confess- I've come to care for you," he breathed. Leaning forward ever so slightly, he brushed his lips to hers in a feather light kiss. Then without another word, he got to his feet and went to the corner where he started to meditate.

* * *

"Stein, how are you?" Ali asked over the extranet. The man's face popped up on the terminal screen. He smiled with a mouth full of white teeth. He was a handsome man. He had geek chic down to the letter. Stein had dark hair that was spiked up in the front and glasses with black frames. His eyes were a bright, clear blue, and his jaw seemed like it was sculpted from marble if the marble had five o'clock shadow all the time.

"I'm good. How are you this fine evening, sweetheart?"

"Don't call me that, Stein."

"Okay, fine. What can I help you, Ali?"

"I am sending you some information that I got off an omni tool. Can you figure out who this man I am looking for is, and where he will be next?" There was a silence as he quickly mined through the information, traced the comm channel, and found the identity of the mystery employer.

"Your man's real name is Diater Nabu. He's a big shot businessman, but it looks like he has been trying to ascend so to speak."

"To what?"

"Some kind of politician." In the next moment, she felt Thane's heat behind her. He leaned over her shoulder scanning through the information traveling up the screen. "And who is your friend?"

"Stein, this is Thane Krios. Thane, this is Gerry Stein, my techie."

"Yours?" he scoffed then chuckled. "I am looking through his schedule now." There was a pause as he went through the information. "He's on Illium tomorrow only. Then he will be at his home office on Thessia for the rest of the week. I'm sending you the specifics now." She glanced over her shoulder at Thane and grinned at him.

"Thanks, Stein, you're the man. I owe you a big drink when I get back to the Citadel. Is Mark there by any chance?"

"No, he's out on an assignment. Very hush, hush. I don't even know, and I'm me." She looked thoughtful for a second before giving Stein a smile in spite of herself.

"Thank you again, I'll see you in a few days."

"Of course, sweetheart." He hung up before she could retort which made her sigh.

"Sweetheart?" Thane murmured into her ear sending his hot breath over her neck. She resisted the urge to lean into him.

"Stein is an asshole. He enjoys using nicknames and sweet nothings with me because he likes to get the rise out of me. If I stopped biting his head off every time he called me sweetheart or darling, he would probably stop. It doesn't mean anything though." He chuckled.

"In my culture, when someone calls another a name like that, it means something." She made note of that and filed it away for future use when she would ask him what "Siha" meant.

"That's because you live on a planet with a species who only tell people they are close to their soul name," she teased.

"Are you making fun of me?" Ali found herself biting her lip to keep the face splitting grin from surfacing. She saw the sparkling mirth in his dark eyes.

"Yes, Sere Krios, I am."

"I thought so," he breathed in her ear before going back to his corner. "We will strike in the morning when he arrives at his building."

* * *

Ali glanced up at one of the windows of the building behind her. The arrival of a limousine hovercar pulling up in front of the building caught her attention. She loosened the neck of the business dress and leaned against the wall. "You got eyes on him?" she asked quietly.

"Yes, I have him," Thane murmured. The man who came out of the car when the door was opened for him by a Turian bodyguard was imposing. But not because he was tall or well built. The air he was projecting was of a man who was in total control of everything around him and knew it. His hair was dark matching his Middle Eastern skin. He was wearing a light blue business man suit which showed he was confident enough not to wear the normal darker colors. He looked around before following his bodyguard towards the building. Nabu glanced over at her, and she saw the recognition light his eyes. He arrogantly smirked at her and looked up at the windows before whispering to his Turian.

"Thane, I think you just got made. Get out of there."

"Siha, I have him in my sights. If you get the Turian out of the way, I will have a clean shot." She growled to herself before taking a few purposeful steps toward the Turian and human.

Nabu put two fingers to his brow still with the smile on his face and saluted her before pointing her out to his guard who immediately took out his assault rifle. She managed to dive out of the way behind cover before getting shot. With a flick of her knife, she cut herself out of the annoying business dress and beneath it was her armor. She took out her own pistol and glanced behind her at the mirrored building, so she could place the Turian. He was slowly making his way towards her cover, and Nabu was all ready driving away in his limo. _Fuck. I should have seen that coming. You stupid, fucking girl. Get your act together._ "Thane?" She was only answered by crackling. "Thane!?" Without a thought, she stood up and shot the Turian three times in the head until he fell dead. Turning towards the building, she looked for muzzle flashes on the upper levels.

"I am pinned in one of the offices on level twenty," Thane breathed into the comm. In the background, she could hear gunfire.

"How many offices from the north are you?"

"I'm in office 2076." Calling up the schematics for the building, she found the office and counted out the windows.

"I am on my way, hang on."

Ali twisted a knob on her gloves activating billions of tiny suction cups on the surface of the glove then leaning over, she activated the same thing on the balls of her boots. Jumping onto the mirrored wall of the building, she started climbing up the building counting out the levels as she passed them. When she passed the fifth floor, a hail of gunfire hit the windows to her right and below her. She pulled out her pistol and shot down at the security team on the ground. There were five and two fell immediately before the others got into cover then she continued upwards. When they moved out into the open and started firing again, one lucky bullet hit her arm, and it gave out. She caught herself with her other arm and legs grunting in pain.

Ignoring the fire that continued from below, she continued until she was right below the office Thane was trapped in. "I'm right below you. I'm going to crash in, but I need you to try and take their attention even if it's only for a second."

"Just give me the word." Nodding to herself, she went around the window until she was directly above it and positioned herself, so her head was towards the ground and feet to the sky. Taking a deep steadying breath, she took out her pistol deactivating that glove's suction.

"Three… Two… One," she breathed before deactivating her boots and spinning, so her feet went in first as she shot out the window.

Rolling into the room, Ali stood up shooting exactly six shots and dropping six men. "You okay?" she asked Thane who was crouching behind a desk. He nodded before standing up and glancing at the men near the door. "They're armor must have sucked. I shouldn't have been able to do that. For a rich man, Nabu can't afford strong armor with good shields? Either that or he doesn't care about his security team," she commented.

"I am thinking it must be the latter. Thank you for the rescue."

"Anytime," she said smiling at him. "Have an escape plan or did I just climb twenty stories to get trapped up here?"

"I have a hovercar on the roof. We can take the elevator or the vents."

"I vote vents. Lead the way." He nodded before moving out into the hall and pulling a metal grate out of the wall about fifteen feet down.

* * *

Thane was in front of her slowly making his way towards the vertical shaft that lead up to the roof of the building. Ali was smaller than he was, but she still felt like she was cramped in the vents. "How do you do this all the time?" she muttered.

"You get used to it, Siha. Don't worry, it widens slightly up ahead." With a sigh, she rolled her eyes and silently followed him into the vertical shaft. Using his knees and arms on one side of the vent and his back on the other, he worked his way up ten feet before she turned on her gloves and boots again and started up below him.

"They don't have the roof covered?" she asked after a few minutes of silence.

"It's not in the security protocols."

"How did you manage to get a hold of those?"

"I hacked into the terminal in the office I was waiting in." There was a long pause during which she thought.

"Good idea."

"I thought so."

"Don't show off, Krios."

"It's not my fault that you can't use tech."

"Who told you that?" she asked a little too loudly, and it echoed off the walls. She looked down the shaft and continued at a whisper. "Who told you that?"

"Mark, I had questions about the rank training. He said that the only class that you ever need help in was tech and even then you barely passed the training. You had Stein's help as well, so now I can put a face to the name."

"I am going to kill that man." He chuckled shaking his head and continued up.

When they got to the roof, Ali could have kissed the open air like in the old vids when people kissed the ground when they got off an airplane. She glanced at the waiting hovercar then scanned the area before following Thane. "There's a transport with open seats going to Thessia. It's leaving in less than an hour. We should get on it. Nabu's going to be on Thessia by tomorrow if he isn't on his way all ready," Ali said looking at her tool as Thane drove towards the hotel.

"Can you get us on it from here?"

"Yeah, no problem."

"I will get our things from the hotel. You stay here and treat your arm." She looked over at him with her eyebrows raised.

"I thought I hid it pretty well."

"You were shooting left handed, Siha. I don't forget anything." She narrowed her eyes, and he grinned slightly at her.

"Fine, whatever, be a man." She crossed her arms and pouted looking out the window at the passing city.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: I am posting this a day early since I will be traveling all tomorrow, and by the time I get to the hotel, I will not be in the mood. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the last chapter. This is the first one that will have M rated content. I will mark it before and after, so if you don't want to read it, you can skip it. There is no major plot points during it. Enjoy.**

* * *

"You have got to be joking me. You're not even letting me carry my own bag. This is too much, Thane. It was barely a graze," she complained when he took her bag away after she pulled it out of the hovercar.

"You're injured," he murmured stubbornly.

"You do know that I heal about five times faster than the average person, correct?"

"Yes, that doesn't change the fact that you're injured." She groaned but followed him into the frigate anyways.

Ali unwrapped the makeshift bandage she had put on her arm and looked at the red line that now marred her arm. She poked it testing the fresh scar to make sure it wouldn't open again and pulled down her sleeve to hide it. Ignoring Thane's gaze, she laid out on the bed and rolled over trying to drown out the noise of the engines.

_Looking over at Mark, Ali could see the deadness in his eyes, but it wasn't from battle mode. He was hopeless. One of their team was cradled in his arms. Her torso was blown open, and her ribs were like twisted and shattered rebar reaching for the sky above them. Tears were mingling with the rain on his face. Ali glanced over the rock outcropping towards the band of mercs who had them pinned down. There were a least two dozen of them. And what remained of their team was minimal and most of them were injured. She bit back a groan as another wave of burning pain seared through her leg traveling up to her abdomen. When the frag grenade had gone off, most of the shrapnel was lodged in her thigh, and she wasn't giving these mercs the benefit of the doubt. She was pretty sure they had put something else in the grenade. "Have you heard from the Fac?" Mark asked quietly from where he had moved to sit beside her. He had placed his sleeping bag over a group of their team who were dead. As she looked around, she saw that the three remaining people had done the same with anything they could find. _

"_No, I haven't. Why would they send us in here without knowing how many there are and what their firepower was?" Mark growled dangerously showing how angry he actually was. _

"_We just lost twenty people, Ali. Twenty! I don't give a fuck about the Fac right now. I just want to try and get the rest of us out of here." _

"_Affirmative. What should we do?" _

_Ali could feel the burning increase and it was all she could do to keep from screaming as she reached her pain threshold. Mark grabbed her shoulder and let her squeeze his other hand as she rode out the waves of pain. She hissed through her teeth and let the breath go as the pain ebbed away. "Mark, I can't sit here anymore," she panted. _

"_I know, Ali. I'll get us out of here. Why don't you try and sleep?" She barked out a humorless laugh and winced as the movement shot down to her leg. "Mark, if I don't make it-"_

"_Hey, don't talk like that. You'll be fine. We'll get you to a med center." He smiled a false smile and cupped her cheek. She put her hand on the back of his neck and pulled him to her. They sat there with their foreheads pressed together for a few long moments before he kissed her hairline and crawled to the lookout point to relieve the guard. _

_The scene changed to one she recognized as well. Ali was tied to a chair in a dark room. A man walked in, and though his identity was hidden by shadows, she felt like she should know him. "I am only going to ask once. I have other members of your team here, so I don't have to waste time through torture," he said pulling out a pistol. He pressed it to her temple. _

"_Okay, your question then, tough guy." He hit her with the pistol, a resounding crack echoing off the concrete walls. _

"_Who are you working for?"_

"_You wouldn't have heard of them. There's no point in my answering the question." _

"_I might surprise you, Ali," he murmured then stepped into the dim light. And suddenly Mark was standing in front of her holding a pistol to her head. He smiled. "You know, you can't tell me anything I don't all ready know." With a smirk, he pulled the trigger._

Ali shot up in bed drenched in a cold sweat. She was gasping for breath, but she tried to keep quiet enough not to wake Thane. "Are you all right, Siha?" Cursing herself, she looked over at him to see that he was all ready sitting up watching her.

"Yeah," she said pushing her hair back from her face. "Just a nightmare."

"May I ask what it was about?"

"Just some old missions with a few battle mode tweaks. If I spend too much time or go to deep, I get nightmares as a warning. It's no big deal."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." She laid back down and sighed. _That was weird._

"Goodnight, Ali."

"Goodnight, Thane, sweet dreams." Thane smiled and rolled onto his side. He could see the glow of her orange hair even in the dim light of the room.

The Drell let himself delve into his memories. _"You said that you had genetic modifications. What was changed?" Ali glanced over at me and cocked her head. _

"_Just some physical and mental chromosomes. They changed them by a few percent. My body is faster and stronger. It healing is accelerated and is immune to almost every sickness. They basically made it so that my mitochondrial proteins are made rapidly and can do more._

"_On the mental side, my brain can learn and retain information at a much improved rate. It basically demolished a learning curve. It's more elastic though not on the level of your eidetic memory. _

"_They also saw fit to make my characteristics a bit more refined though I am led to believe that they only fixed small flaws. They made our skin flawless and our female assets more attractive, so we would fill out dresses better." I stayed silent staring at her features in a new light. "I know what you're thinking."_

"_No, Siha-" She cut me off with a move of her hand and a small forgiving smile. _

"_It's okay. They didn't change much on me since I was taken as a newborn. They had to wait until I developed fully to change anything. They enlarged my breasts when they discovered they weren't going to be a 'good' size. They straightened my nose after I broke it while sparring. They scrubbed most of my older scars from my body. But that's the extent. Many other people were changed extensively. I was not one." _

"_I was not thinking anything, Siha. I was simply looking."_

"_Are you going to tell me what that means?" I gave her a puckish grin before shaking my head slightly. Ali rolled her eyes and tossed her hair over her shoulder. _

_My eyes were drawn to the way her hair caught the light. It looked like burnished red metal. Her searching brown hazel eyes met mine capturing my attention for a long moment. Her eyes looked like a tree on Earth. "Aspen," he silently confirmed. He had seen pictures years ago, and the color reminded him of the leaves in fall when they changed. It was quite beautiful. The light was soft on her porcelain skin. It looked so soft and smooth that I wanted to reach out and run the tips of my fingers across her cheekbone. Her pale skin was flawless though there was a light spray of freckles over the bridge of her nose that was difficult to see if I was at a distance. A smile tugged at the corner of her lips bringing my gaze to them. They were turtle shell pink, and they had a slight pout. I wanted to press my lips against hers just to feel the softness of them. I could almost feel the way her lips could feel against my body. My eyes travelled down farther past her chin that had an almost imperceptible cleft. _

_I saw what looked like a burn scar just cresting the edge of where her shoulder met her neck, but it was the only thing that I could spot that marred her beautiful creamy skin. She had on an off white shirt with loose jeans, but her feet were bare. My eyes always seemed to be drawn back to her hair which at the moment was not in the usual high ponytail. It fell in soft curls down to her elbows. The locks around her face were much shorter being around her jaw line and a little bit longer. _

_Her body was taut and fit, but she also had the feminine curves in all the right places. I knew that her small body was a powerhouse. It was also deadly, and I was always impressed with the way it moved in combat. I found myself wanting to know the limits of her body and what it could handle. But there was also a part of me that wanted to just look at her and feel her gentle touch. Her skin and hair intrigued me, and it was taking a severe amount of self control to keep myself from touching her inappropriately without her expressed permission. The room was plunged into slight darkness when she turned off her bedside lamp and lay down on her bed. "Goodnight, Thane."_

"_Goodnight, Siha." I was left with these feelings that I couldn't quite figure out. It would take a great deal of meditating to cut these lines of feelings off. But a part of me wanted to follow them to wherever they might lead. It was Ali who told me to embrace what I was feeling. Maybe I should. But I didn't know the human customs of courting potential lovers, and I had never been attracted to a female of a different species. I had slept with a few Asari and a few Drell, but it was purely for physical pleasure and nothing more. Still I felt that I needed to at least try. Maybe I should do some research._

* * *

Over the next few days, Ali could see that Thane was getting restless on the ship. It was by no means a small ship being a frigate, but he didn't want to leave her alone too long just in case there were more mercs on it. Watching him as he meticulously cleaned his rifle, she came up with an idea that might take his mind off the events that awaited them on Thessia. "Thane?" she asked putting down her book and leaning forward. His eyes met hers and he nodded subtly for her to continue. "Can you teach me to shoot like you?" His brow furrowed as he straightened to look up at her.

"I would think you know how to use a sniper rifle, Siha."

"Well, I do," she assured. "I just can't shoot as well as you. I would like to get better."

"As I recall, there is a shooting range on this frigate. Maybe we can go tonight when no one is going to be there."

"Thanks, I appreciate it." He smiled faintly then went back to cleaning his weapon as she did the same with her book.

"Siha, this is an M-92 Mantis. It is known as the single shot rifle because after that the heat sink must be replaced. It's not as powerful as the M-98 Widow but only armored species can fire it without shattering their arm. The M-97 Viper has a larger magazine, but I prefer this one so I don't have to take two shots instead of one," Thane said quietly. Ali had the rifle balanced in her hands as he pointed out all the upgrades to his weapon: namely a heat dampener and a spare thermal clip mod which gave him an extra shot before he had to change out the heat sink. "We'll start at the prone. Is that all right with you?"

"Yes," she said following him to the cushioned floor of the range on the ship. She had a suspicion that this frigate was military before a passenger ship, but it served her purposes; so she brushed the errant thought aside. Setting the rifle tight into her shoulder, she glanced through the scope before awaiting further instructions. Thane was on his stomach beside her with one of the spotting scopes to his own eye. He nodded subtly, and she made herself comfortable in her shooting position before breathing out slowly and squeezing the trigger at the very bottom of her breath. The rifle recoiled subtly, and she made the note to hold it tighter on her shoulder.

"Are you sure you needed instruction, Siha? Or are you just trying to keep me entertained?" Thane asked looking over at her.

"Anyone can hit a target in the prone. I can't do it as well when I am standing."

"You could have informed me."

"I thought I would impress you before the inevitable disappointment." He chuckled.

"I don't think that's possible."

"What impressing you?" she teased. He gave her a look that told her he knew what she was doing and got to his feet offering her his hand. He positioned the weapon in her hands pulling it into her shoulder.

"Shooting standing up is not too different from laying down, but you don't have as many points of contact with something solid."

"That's the problem. In combat I don't stay very still. I'm pretty impatient." He chuckled behind her and placed his arms under hers to steady her more.

"I am well aware. Maybe using a sniper rifle is not a wise choice for you?"

"There's no harm in trying. You never know when you _have _to use one." She was silenced when he moved his arms from hers and grabbed her hips. Sucking in a breath, she closed her eyes making sure to keep her heart at a relatively low rate. But it wasn't working. It was going like she had just sprinted a marathon, and Ali knew he could hear it. _Damn drell senses._ He was enough of a gentlemen not to mention it, but there was a small smirk on his lips. Thane slowly rotated her hips, so that she was slightly off center. Pushing her forward with his body, he made her put all her weight on her front foot.

Thane had to admit that touching her was making his blood heat up. Her skin was softer than he could have ever imagined. And as his face brushed her hair, he inhaled deeply. Her scent was even stronger than normal. Taking a breath, he put his arms under hers again leaning over her shoulder. "Okay, aim, breathe, and fire." He felt her shoulders rise as she took a breath, then lower as she slowly let it out. Her lips pursed as she let it out through her mouth, and Thane swallowed thickly. He felt the muscles in her forearm tense as she slowly pulled back the trigger until it fired. He felt the slight jerk of the weapon, but the muzzle barely moved. He noticed at she slowly let go of the trigger and was impressed that she did. He leaned down to glance through the scope and smiled faintly. "Were you aiming for his neck?" he asked quietly. Her brow furrowed, and she looked through the scope.

"No, I was aiming for his forehead though that's a kill shot anyways."

"Then let's try again. This time lean into the shot a little more. It might be the recoil that's throwing off the shot." He pushed himself against her again putting his arms under hers. He felt as she took the breath, let it out, and squeezed the trigger. When she let go of the trigger, he glanced through the scope and smiled faintly when he saw the bullet hole in directly in what would have been the forehead if the target had a face. "Perfect," he murmured letting her lower the rifle.

Ali turned to him handed the rifle back. "Well, at least, I might actually hit a target when I have to." He chuckled.

"You know there's a competitive pop-up setting to this range. I want to see how well you do with a pistol." He handed over her pistol which he must have taken from their room on the way out. She checked the slide and loaded up a heat sink.

"How many shots?"

"One each target. And they must be kill shots."

"Okay, watch and learn, Krios." He placed his fist in front of his mouth trying and failing to hide his answering smile.

As she made her way through the course, Ali let the rhythm of battle take her. The adrenaline was icy in her veins even if she wasn't actually in combat against foes who were shooting back. When she shot the final one in the head, the hairs on the back of her neck rose, and she ducked under the oncoming punch. Thane attacked again, and she blocked his punch jumping over his leg sweep. Ali went through the motions she knew all too well of hand-to-hand combat. Thane and she were basically equally matched, and the fight went on for at least half an hour before they were both getting tired. Neither had really landed any good hits all that time, and it bothered both of them. It was then that Thane decided to use his superior strength tackling her to the floor where he quickly had her pinned. He had her arms pinned above her head in one hand his other on the floor beside her head. Her hips were under his body where he sunk his weight onto her.

Ali laughed up at him knowing he had her beat though technically he had cheated by just tackling her. "Cheater," she mumbled. His eyebrows rose.

"When were rules imposed?" he asked smiling that half smile of his.

"It's called the warrior code. Tackling has absolutely no finesse."

"I thought it was about winning."

"Well, you didn't. You just wanted to be on top," she teased. His eyes narrowed.

"Is that so bad, Siha?"

"I am not complaining. Well, at least not about the position. Your sportsmanship, on the other hand-" Before she could finish, he kissed her gently pulling back to gage her reaction. He didn't have to because she followed him up pulling against his hands to kiss him deeper. Her tongue traced his bottom lip, and he opened his mouth to her letting go of her hands and rolling over; so she was straddling his waist. "Should we be doing this?" she muttered between kisses.

"I am not thinking about that right now."

"Oh, I know what you are thinking, Thane." He smiled up at her as his hands ran up her back bringing up her shirt, so he could feel her skin against his fingers. His blood was roaring in his veins, and he wanted to take her right then on the floor: long and hard. But there was something about the way she put her hand over the one he had placed on her cheek his thumb under her jaw line. It made him stop and wonder how she would want to be taken. _Surely not here on the floor. And the way I am imagining it cannot be right either._

His thoughts brought him to a different reality where he was taking her from behind making her scream his name over and over again. She had scratches down her back, and her hair was fisted in his hand pulling her head back to look at the ceiling. His other hand was holding her arms at her forearms forcing her to arch her back pushing her breasts out in front of her.

Thane shook his head subtly being brought out of his thoughts and looked back at her. His eyes tightened subtly, and he closed off that part of his mind. _No, it will not happen like. I will not let it. She deserves more. She has given you everything. That's the least you owe her, Krios. _"As much as I would like to continue on this path, Siha, I don't think we should," he murmured banishing the image from his mind completely. Ali smiled sadly and nodded slowly pushing her hair behind her ear. His brow furrowed, but he let her get to her feet and took the hand she proffered to him.

"At a later date then? Maybe when we're not on a frigate?"

"Yes, Siha, I would like that." He kept his hold on her hand and kissed her palm before putting it on his cheek leaning into the touch.

* * *

Thessia was known for being very beautiful. It was the Asari homeworld meaning they definitely had time to make it perfect. But the hotel was a little dingy since they were trying to keep a low profile. "Siha, are you sure you want to stay here?" Thane asked after he had looked around the room a few times. She smiled at him biting back a giggle.

"Yes, Thane, this is perfectly fine. I don't need to stay in the best hotel on this planet."

"What if you could?" She paused giving him a bewildered look trying to figure out what he was insinuating.

"I would be in the bath right now trying to relax the tension out of my shoulders." A smile graced his lips before he sat in the middle of the bed patting the area in front of him. Hesitantly she sat down giving him a suspicious look before pulling her hair over her shoulder.

The Drell slowly started to knead the muscles on her shoulders gently working them into mush. In no time, Ali was just a puddle in his hands. "Oh, you just get better and better don't you?" He chuckled softly and pushed on either side of her spine moving slowly down. "Thane?"

"Yes, Siha."

"Are you ever going to tell me what that means?" There was a pause during which he kept kneading her muscles.

"One of the warrior-angels of the goddess Arashu. Fierce in wrath. A tenacious protector." Slowly she turned around looking into his dark eyes, and he tried to avoid her gaze in embarrassment.

"Thane, that's the most beautiful thing anyone has ever said to me." He smiled shyly.

* * *

**M-Rated Content After This Point:**

Ali straddled his lap taking hold of his face and kissed him gently, barely more than a brushing of their lips. She sat back waiting for him to react. He brushed the hair away from her face letting the back of his fingers ghost over her cheekbones. He placed his palms on her lower back pulling her towards him, so he could kiss her. His tongue traced her lower lip beckoning entry. Her lips were as soft as he had dreamed they were, and her hair was something incredible to behold. It felt like he was running his hands through silk. When his tongue entered her mouth, she moaned letting her finger idly flick his fringe, and he sucked in a sharp breath at her touch leaning into it unconsciously. Slowly, his hands moved up her torso, and he grabbed the zipper of her jacket pulling it down until he could push it off her shoulders.

Moving his hands back up her front, he stopped at her breasts. He wasn't that experienced with any women, his job being more important to him than pleasures of the flesh, but he knew that Drell females didn't have breasts since babies were born able to eat whole foods. So the need for mammary glands was lost on his species. And he had never cared enough to explore the Asari body during his liaisons with them. It had been simply to feel something for an hour before he went dead again on a job. The way she pushed herself into his palms intrigued him, and he wanted to know how sensitive she was in that particular spot. He slowly skimmed his thumbs over her breasts making her breath hitch in her throat, and he slowly removed her shirt.

They had to separate for a second during which he looked down at her body. He ran his fingers over her smooth skin marveling at the texture. Unlike his, there was no slight roughness that came from the scales of his species. Ali smiled and unclasped her bra pulling it off before kissing Thane again. Their tongues tangled, each fighting for dominance. He ran his thumbs over her nipples eliciting a moan before he gently pinched them making them harden under his ministrations. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she leaned forward to run her tongue along one of his fringes. A low growl vibrated through his chest, though she couldn't hear it, she could feel it through her entire body. His hands slipped down to her butt, and he lifted pushing her forward and up.

Looking up into her eyes, he slowly circled her nipple with his tongue and pulled it into his mouth. Her head fell back as she let out a low moan which he answered with a vibrating growl. Ali looked down and started to unbuckle his jacket. She struggled for several seconds before he chuckled and grabbed her hands. He quickly took off his jacket then his vest before kissing her again burying his hands in her hair. Lifting her face up with a hand under her jaw, he kissed and sucked gently at the soft skin of her neck careful not to leave any marks. He moved to her breasts again ravishing them until she was keening quietly every time he scraped her nipples with his teeth. He loved the sounds she was making in the back of her throat and wanted to hear more of them. Her nails dug into his back, and he could tell she was leaving small marks though he couldn't tell if she drew any blood. He wasn't going to complain though. He loved it. The small bite of pain fueling his want for her if it were even possible.

Ali got to her feet pulling her pants and underwear off while Thane took off his own. When he looked up at her, he forgot how to breathe. She was so beautiful standing there in front of him. She self-consciously tucked her hair behind her ears. "You are breath taking, Siha," he said leaning forward to grab her hips. He pulled her towards him and looked her up and down in a possessively predatory way. She looked away from him in embarrassment, but he grabbed her chin forcing her to look into his black eyes. "You have nothing to be ashamed of." He slowly traced one of the scars that looked like a knife wound. It was on her side several inches below her ribs. He then looked up into her vivid brown-hazel eyes. "You're an amazing woman, and I am in love with you, Siha." Her mouth went slack in shock before a smile spread across her face.

"I love you too," she whispered before climbing back onto his lap. She pressed her lips against his pulling him closer. His erection pressed against her stomach, and she smiled against his mouth. "You've done this before?" He nodded subtly and ran his hands up her spine. She smiled and pushed her hair behind her ears.

Glancing down, Ali's eyes widened when she saw him. He definitely had nothing to be ashamed about. Not only was he big by human standards, but he also had four ribs two on either side down the length of him making his girth even larger. He was hard and throbbing against her abdomen, and it made her pool with arousal. He could smell how much stronger her scent was as she looked down at him. He had heard rumors Drell males were larger than human men in a number of clubs when females would approach him. He was under the impression that Drell were quite the commodity and had refused a number of women. Apparently, the rumors were correct by her reaction. He felt every muscle tighten below her waist, and her heart rate spiked. Taking him in her hand, she collected the bead of moisture that had collected there and spread it around the head of his cock watching as his head fell back in pleasure.

Slowly she raised herself up onto her knees and impaled herself. Her head fell back as she groaned, and Thane took in a sharp intake of breath tightening his grasp on her body his eyes closing in pleasure. She could feel each individual spine as they slipped inside her, and she winced at the twinge of pain. Noticing the tautness of her muscles which alerted him to her pain, he held her up making sure she took him in as slowly as possible. "Siha, you are so tight," he moaned into her hair.

"Oh, god, Thane," she breathed.

When he was fully sheathed, she paused letting her muscles acclimatize to the overly full feeling. Ali's head rested against his neck, and he whispered sweet nothings into her ear that made her smile faintly. She had never been so full and complete before. He stretched at her walls making her acclimatize to his size. Feeling a deep rumble in his chest, she ran her tongue along his frill making him suck in a breath and lean into her before starting to move slowly. He placed his hands on her hips rolling his hips up to meet her stroke for stroke making sure to hit her sweet spot every time. He had researched the human female body extensively after that night on the frigate. He wanted to pleasure her and only her after what his imagination had subjected her to. He wanted her to come around him and not stop until she was shaking. Leaning down, he lavished her nipples with his tongue and teeth until she was keening again. That same sound in the back of her throat. An unconscious growl answered her which he couldn't quell though he tried. She wrapped her arms around his neck enveloping him entirely in her strong and now musky scent. Thane loved the feeling of being inside of her, the muscles clenching at him making him tremble slightly. He was encased in her warmth and never wanted to be anywhere else. They moved in perfect unison until her muscles clamped tightly down on him as she came loudly. Her spasms made him come as well, and he groaned into her chest running his nose up and down her sternum affectionately.

Thane let himself catch his breath and stared up into her bright eyes. "Is it true that Drell males can stay hard for hours?" Ali asked breathily.

"Yes," he answered simply. She pressed at hand against his chest and kissed him hard invading his mouth with her tongue. All at once, his passion and lust were inflamed again as he returned her ardor with his own. In one swift move, Thane had her lying out underneath him. Starting out slow, he leaned down to nibble on her earlobe as she grabbed his shoulders holding him to her. She wrapped her legs around him tilting her hips into him letting him have his way with her. He then picked up speed swiveling his hips slightly just to see what the effect would be on her. She gasped tightening her grip on his shoulder digging in her nails, and he growled as an answer. Ali moaned every time he hit the exact right spot inside of her, his girth doing wonders for her.

"Ah, Thane," she gasped when he circled his hips again. The way she said her name like that caused him to growl louder, the vibration rippling through his chest. She couldn't hear it, but she could definitely feel it. It was when he bit down hard on her shoulder that sent her over the edge. She came harder than the first time screaming his name. He found his own release as he bit her shoulder growling possessively and tightening his grip on her. His instincts taking over in that moment as he made sure that she knew that it was him making her come so completely.

Balancing himself on his elbows, Thane ran his nose around her shoulder moving to her sternum then her neck where she nuzzled him back. She didn't know how important that was to him, but he loved the feeling it gave him. It made his completion even that more substantial, and he almost wanted to take her again. But looking down at her face, he could tell that she was tired and decided against it. He would have to wait to show his gratitude until another time. Ali leaned up to press her lips against his and sucked in a breath when he automatically deepened it slipping his tongue into her mouth. Pulling himself slowly out, Thane turned to his back smiling affectionately as she laid her head on his abdomen tracing one of the stripes that accentuated the V on his hips. Both closed their eyes luxuriating in the pleasurable glow.

**End M-Rated Content:**

* * *

"What's going to happen tomorrow?" she murmured when most of the afterglow had faded. Thane skimmed his fingers along her shoulder trailing them down her arm then back up again. He longed to explore every inch of her beautiful body, but he didn't think he had the will to move from his position.

"We are going to be safe again. Then we will go somewhere," he replied leaving no room for argument.

"Somewhere dry?" she asked with a ghost of a smile on her lips. A small grin graced his.

"Yes, that would be nice." His chest vibrated gently making her giggle.

"You sound like a purring cat."

"A cat? Those are the furry creatures from earth that people keep as pets correct?"

"Yes, when they are content, they purr. Have you ever rubbed two pieces of magnetic metal together or maybe glass balls? It sounds like that, kind of like a vibration." He chuckled then did the same thing again pulling her closer and running his fingers through her orange hair. She yawned nestling against his side.

"Maybe we should get some rest? Honestly, I could continue taking you all night, but we have a job to finish, and we need to be ready for anything because he will be expecting us after Illium. I don't want you to get hurt." His chest clenched as he spoke his fear: he couldn't stand the thought of losing the human who had managed to worm herself into his heart in so little a time. Resting her chin on him, Ali looked up at him with her vividly colored eyes. Without a word, she tightened her arms around his waist and nuzzled her nose against him along one of his stripes. He smiled lovingly down at her entwining his fingers in her hair as she closed her eyes. He stared at her for several minutes before he too closed his eyes and fell asleep.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: Greetings from the South East. I am luckily going to the beach tomorrow for the first time in years. I am so excited. Anyways, I hope you liked the last chapter and will enjoy this one as well. Have a great weekend!**

* * *

Ali's eyes flickered open about an hour before sunrise. She glanced around the hotel room her gaze coming to rest on the Drell lying next to her. A smile crossed her lips. She was still nestled against his side one of her arms splayed across his stomach. He was a truly beautiful man. His skin was made up of small scales like a snake's skin. They were a deep emerald with black stripes on his torso and head. His facial plates were a little rougher than the rest of his body, and he had a black diamond in the middle of his forehead. There were a few patches that were a dull pink, and they looked like they were particularly sensitive. His stomach was flat and well muscled with at least a six pack that she could feel underneath her hand, and she could see the muscles under his scales. He was quite built. _The assassin life agrees with him._ She bit her lip at the wayward thoughts that were creeping into her mind. And he had that V emphasized by his stripes which were reminiscent of a happy trail on his lower abdomen that was so sexy. The sheets were thrown over his hips right under where the V started hiding everything else from sight. His chest was also something that she could stare at for the rest of her life and never get tired of. His arms were sculpted to perfection probably a testament to the fact that he could hold his sniper rifle perfectly still for hours waiting for the conditions to be perfect before he carried out his assassination.

Her eyes travelled up his body following the lines. When she got to his face, Thane was looking at her with a smile playing at the corners of his lips. "Enjoying the view?" he asked playfully. Ali felt her cheeks color, and she looked down in embarrassment. He grasped her chin and forced her to look up at him. "That color is quite becoming." Pulling her to him, he pressed his lips against hers thrusting his tongue into her mouth. Forgetting her earlier embarrassment, she moaned into his mouth running her fingers up his side touching the pink sections on purpose. His throat vibrated in pleasure.

"Good morning," she murmured when they separated to catch their breath.

"I could get used to waking up to you, Siha." She smiled as he nipped her shoulder playfully causing her to giggle.

* * *

"Good luck, Siha," Thane murmured into the comm link.

"Good luck yourself. I need you to come out the other side of this, Thane," she said going for playful but failing miserably. Even she could hear the slight panic in her voice.

"Not more than I need you." Ali took a deep breath collecting her thoughts before emptying her mind of everything but the mission.

They had come up with the plan to go in different ways. Since Thane usually went through the duct work on a lot of his contracts, he was going in from the bottom of the building and working his way up. They decided that she should get into the building under the guise of a business woman. She had intercepted the woman at the docks and taken all the information she had on her. With some quick adjustments, she looked enough like the woman to get past security. "Emma Frost for Diater Nabu," she said when she got to the front desk.

"Yes, he's expecting you. Mr. Sawyer will escort you to his office."

"Thank you." The bulky man indicated the elevator, and Ali smiled at him obediently entering the small room. "Is security always this tight?"

"It has recently been increased for Mr. Nabu's safety, ma'am."

"What is your normal job then?" The man gave her a dazed look like no one had ever showed any interest in him before.

"I ran the security office. Now most of the security team is escorting guests around the building."

"Really? Is there a reason for this increase in security?" she asked innocently. When he didn't answer, she backtracked to something a little less provoking. "Are there people still watching the cameras? I would think there are a lot in this building."

"We have at least one person in the camera room at any given time." Ali scanned the elevator for the camera but couldn't find it.

"You know what I have always wanted to do in an elevator, Mr. Sawyer?" He turned to her with a confused frown.

"No, ma'am." She winked and unbuttoned the neck of his collar. Ali was used to using her body and sex as a weapon against members of the opposite gender. _And some of the same don't forget._ However, this time, she felt like it wasn't her body to use anymore. Thane had totally claimed her the night before, and the thought made her blood hot. His eyes widened, and his ears turned pink. "There is a camera in here, Miss Frost."

"Tell them to turn it off then," she whispered raising an eyebrow haughtily. Nodding warily, he quietly ordered one of his men to turn off elevator A's camera. He looked up at her and smiled. "We'll have to make this fast. I still have a meeting to get to." He quickly whipped off his jacket, and when he looked down to unzip his fly, she knifed him in the neck hitting the "snooze button" perfectly. He heavily dropped to the floor. "Sorry about that," she muttered pushing the button that stopped the elevator. She climbed on top of the elevator and pulled on her gloves twisting a discreet knob. Jumping onto the wall, she started to climb towards the penthouse.

* * *

"I am about two floors away from the penthouse," she murmured.

"I still have five floors to get through."

"I will distract the guards to give you the chance to get in undetected."

"No, Siha, that is too dangerous"

"You would get shot as soon as you dropped down."

"You don't give me any credit." Ali shook her head and continued up the wall. When she got to the last elevator door, she slid her knife through the doors and forced it sideways. She stuck her hand in the space and pushed hard until she could put the knife back into its sheath and put her other hand in the space. Lifting herself through the gap, she glanced around making sure no guards were in the area. Quietly she made her way up the hall towards the penthouse office door where she paused to fix her hair. _Might as well try and keep up the charade._ Knocking on the door, she glanced down the hall behind her. The door opened revealing a guard in a well tailored suit.

"Where is Mr. Taylor?" he asked gruffly.

"He stayed in the elevator said I should come to the door myself. He had to take a moment to recover if you know what I mean?" She winked to make her point clear. His neck reddened under the collar, and he opened the door far enough to let her through. "Thanks, handsome," she murmured fluttering her eyelashes at him.

"Ah, you must be Miss Frost," Mr. Nabu greeted rising from his chair. His brow furrowed when he noticed that she was alone. "Did Mr. Taylor decide to stay in the elevator?"

"Yes, he did. Do you want me to start my pitch without him?"

"Of course. This way." When he turned his back, Ali took out her pistol and shot all the guards in the room one after another. Mr. Nabu spun kicked the gun out of her hand taking her by surprise. _Nowhere in the files did it mention he could fight._

That was when Mark came in from a side door. "Mark," she breathed stopping mid punch. Nabu threw himself through her guard landing a hard hit on her jaw. She took several steps back to keep an eye on the both of them. Putting a hand to her jaw, she winced and knew it would bruise, but it hadn't been that hard; so she wasn't worried about a fracture.

"Hi, honey, did you miss me?"

"Siha, I heard gunshots. Are you all right?"

"How is your Drell friend?"

"Is that Mark? What is he doing here?" Thane asked.

"Mark, it was you this entire time? Why? How? I don't understand." Finding she couldn't quite wrap her head around his betrayal, she shook her head in shock.

"This is just a job, Ali. No hard feelings. But I do have to kill you." He even had the courtesy to look like it pained him to say, but she knew better. There was a hardness in his eyes.

"I am almost there, Siha. Just hang on until then."

"I have always been curious which one of us would win in hand to hand. We never were pared together back at the Fac." Anger filled her. _How could this be happening? My most trusted friend has been the one trying to kill me this entire time._

"That's because I was a full tier above of you," she snarled. They had started circling each other both assessing: searching for weaknesses.

"I have been in practice a lot longer than you."

"It's like riding a bike, really."

"Can you really kill a friend?"

"Want to bet?" She spun kicked which he dodged, but she kept spinning through and got the back of his lowered head on her movement down. Blocking his numerous punches with her forearms, Ali kicked him in the chest sending him back and propelling herself off of him flipping in mid air and kicking Nabu in the head. "Sit and stay, I'll get to you later," she barked at him before blocking another kick and punch combo from Mark.

"Come on are you just going to block me all day?"

Mark went on the offensive again throwing many rapid punches which she blocked before kneeing him three times in the side and extending into a kick to the side of the head. He stumbled back a few steps blocking her second kick to the head and throwing a short jab to her cheek which connected. She twisted slightly letting his next punch skim by her before grabbing his wrist pushing it swiftly away from her dislocating it. He roundhouse kicked her in the side throwing her a few feet back before grabbing his shoulder and popping it back into place. He looked up with blazing eyes. Ignoring the ache in her side, she ran at him jumping up and punching him in the face hard before bringing her other hand up with her knife into the soft spot under his chin. "Guess you're still not as good as me, Mark," she growled as he fell to the floor. The fight had only taken about two minutes to play out which was probably a worst for her, but she wrote it off as being rusty. Mark fell to the floor a puddle of blood spreading around his face. Changing her grip on the knife, she whirled to meet Nabu who kicked her arm sending the knife skating across the smooth floor. _Damn._

Ali blocked his punch deflecting it away from her body throwing him slightly off balance just enough to throw her shoulder into his chest. Kicking him hard square in the chest, she followed him back closer to his desk then punched him connecting with his jaw mirroring her own injury.

"You have quite a lot of spunk, kid," he said kicking her in the ribs. She grunted taking a few steps back before putting her fists up readying herself for his next strike. "I could have used you."

"Thanks, that's what a girl always wants to hear." She blocked his next kick, and he blocked hers but missed her punch. He took it in the gut but recovered quickly. His next move, she didn't expect. Taking out a pistol, he shot her in the chest. Ali fell to her knees placing a palm over her sternum checking for damage. From what sounded like underwater, she heard Thane drop to the floor from the ventilation shaft. Nabu kicked her in the chest, and she collapsed.

"Siha," he breathed looking first at the woman on the floor then up at his target. His eyes went dead for a second before rage filled him. His blood was on fire, and he tightened his fists. Kicking the gun from Nabu's hand, he spun again landing the kick on his chest throwing him halfway across the room where he impacted hard with his desk. But Thane didn't slow down his assault. He landed a bunch of punches to his torso before taking one to the jaw making him take a step back. He ducked under another punch and jumped over the kick aimed for his legs. Nabu threw his shoulder into the Drell's chest throwing him back fractionally enough to roll around him and pick up his weapon. Thane ducked behind the desk and ran to different cover trying to find a good vantage point.

Thane ended up not having to because Ali got up from the floor directly behind Nabu and snapped his neck. "I was wearing armor, you moron," she growled as his body fell to the floor. Wincing she put a hand to her chest and checked it for blood. "Damn, I should not do that again."

"Siha, are you all right?" he asked after checking to make sure Nabu was dead.

"Yeah, I will just have a hell of a bruise. Good thing those weren't armor piercing rounds otherwise this would not have turned out too well."

"Are you sure?" He was at her side brushing her hair away from her face checking her jaw and cheek. There was slight bruising but nothing that wouldn't be gone in a few hours. He wanted to check the gunshot wound but ignored the need not wanting to undress her here. Glancing down at the dead body of Mark, Ali's eyes filled with sadness and hurt before she shook it off and looked back up at the Drell.

"Yes, Thane, I'm fine." He nodded to himself and looked around the room letting his eyes linger on Mark for a split second. His fist clenched. He would have paid to be the one to take the man's life. "What happened to waiting for me?"

"I got over exuberant. I was going to leave him for you, but then he just made me angry." He chuckled looking over at her in awe. "Don't look at me like that, Sere Krios. You're making me blush."

"It's such a pretty color. I want to see more of it," he murmured running a finger across her cheek bone making her blush even deeper going from pink to a light red. He smiled.

"We should get out of here before we have to fight off more guards. We can continue this later," she murmured trying to change the subject. It worked to her relief.

"You're right. Up and out?" She nodded and followed him to the elevator shaft. She twisted the knob on her gloves and boots again and started her climb while Thane jumped across the shaft to the access ladder. They both concentrated on climbing until they got to the roof. While he helped Ali through the opening, Thane looked around for cameras before joining her on the roof. There was a cab waiting for them just like he had requested from his contacts here on Thessia.

* * *

When they finally got to their frigate, they sighed with relief. "A clean getaway. How many times has that happened?" Ali said finding herself smiling despite the ordeal she just went through.

"Well, if I have made no mistakes, usually I don't have to fight through any guards."

"Hmm, you must have been trained differently than we were."

"I must have been. Humans are such a flamboyant race," he teased. She smiled up at him indulgently before frowning slightly and looking out the window of their compartment of the transport. Her dearest and closest friend. He had betrayed her and tried to kill her. She wondered when he had been hired. Was it before or after they left the Citadel? If it was before, why had he waited so long? And had anyone else known about his involvement? Surely not. No one would have sanctioned the murder of one of their own. The NextGen's were supposed to stand together as a united front. That's how they were raised.

"Hey, are you here?" Thane quietly asked pushing aside a lock of her hair. Ali had been standing at the window looking out into the space since they had left the planet of Thessia behind them.

"Yeah, I was just thinking of Mark. I never thought his greed for power would make him sink so low. I keep thinking of him as a kid when we were at the Fac. He was so protective of me and the other girls when the Handlers would get physical with us. One of them actually broke his arm when he interfered. We, as females, 'belonged' to an assigned Handler to do with what he pleased. It was a way to keep the Handler under control since they weren't allowed away from the facility unless it was with us on an assignment. It was very chivalrous. I was in love with Mark for a time."

"I'm sorry," he said. His eyes clouded with a mix of pain and anger. She put a hand on his cheek making her look up at him.

"It's okay. I'm not at the Fac anymore. That's behind me where it belongs. But Mark-"

"Siha," he murmured pulling her to him. He held her against his chest inhaling her scent as she pushed her face against his neck. They stayed there for a long time neither speaking until Thane pulled away enough to look into her eyes. "If I could bring him back just to kill him again for his betrayal I would."

"Oh, Thane, I know. Let's just forget it." She kissed him tenderly, and he immediately deepened it into something hot and sensual.

"Come over here," he murmured into her hair before pulling her over to the couches that unfolded into a bed. He pulled her against his chest falling back onto the bed. She giggled starting to unbuckle his jacket and vest.

* * *

Ali's eyes opened the next morning when the warmth of Thane's arm left her shoulder. She chanced a glance up at him to find the Drell still asleep with both his arms behind his head. There was a small contended smile on his lips which made her bite her lip. _Why is his smile so sexy?_ Slowly raising her arm careful not to stir him, she snapped a picture with her omni tool planning to print the holo to put in her apartment when they got back to the Citadel today. Sliding closer to Thane, she settled her arm across his chest again. "Is something wrong?" he asked opening his eyes and looking down at her.

"No, I was just cold." He seemed to notice that he moved his arm and smiled apologetically before turning them both over. He curled around her enveloping her in his warmth.

"Is this better?" he asked. He nuzzled her ear before affectionately nipping her shoulder.

"Mmhmm," she mumbled snuggling into his front further. She felt his lips curl into a smile against her skin.

"Now sleep, Siha. We still have several more hours before we get back to the Citadel. Then we have a lot to do once we get there."

"Like what?" she asked absently.

"I have to contact the Hanar about being released from duty. I wish to stay there with you," he said entwining his fingers in her hair. Her brow furrowed slightly at the realization that he was planning on giving up his life. "We can discuss it further when we get there, Siha."

"Yeah, sure."

When Thane's breathing evened, Ali slowly untangled her limbs from his and got out of bed without disturbing him. Pulling on her clothes, she silently left their compartment and went to the common area to think. She got to a window and stared out at the stars for several minutes before taking a few long deep breaths. Looking out at the galaxy always seemed to make her feel better like it made her realize how small her problems are compared to other things. _Nankurunaisa. Everything will work out in the end._ She let herself chuckle at the saying remembering the word from one of her many classes. That one had stuck out to her, and it was a little like her life motto. _Okay, so he wants to start a life with me on the Citadel. It's not like it's the end of the world- er galaxy. Unfortunately, I have my own shit to figure out. With Mark gone, who will run the NextGen Soldiers? The obvious answer is me since I have always been of the highest rank among them all. _

_Now, how will Thane fit into that? There is no way that he will be able to live a normal life. It's out of the question. That would mean that he will be a contract assassin which in turn means that he will be out travelling a lot. We don't know each other that well, so will that put too much strain on our new relationship? Quite possibly, yes. _

_Now, last question, is that fair to us? Oh, god, I love that man. I have never been so deeply in love before. And I know it's been fast. We've known each other for what? A couple weeks most of which we were cooped up in the same room on a frigate. The other part was battling for our lives. Alisa, you're making this even more difficult. Answer the damn question, is it fair to him?_

Ali couldn't answer the question. Her emotions were just too much to look past. Which also told her something about the answer. If her emotions were this unbridled, _can you really say for certain that this is something that will last? What if a few months of living relatively normal lives together isn't enough? What if this is an adrenaline filled love that will only work when it's built on danger._

If that wasn't the answer, then she didn't know how else she could put it. Ali just didn't know if it would even have a chance at working. Yes, they would try. Yes, it would be incredible for the short term. Yes, she wanted him so badly right now. But that was now, right. What if it didn't work? He would have left the only life he had known for her, then he would be left on his own with nothing to return to. He wouldn't even be on his own planet. Of course, he could always go home, but who knows if the Hanar would take him back after a stunt like that. And there was the battle sleep to consider after that. What if she broke his heart, and he became the same man he had been when she met him? No, that thought was too painful. She couldn't let that happen.

This was so painful to her like someone was ramming a knife into her heart and twisting it around. She gasped clutching at her chest like it was a physical pain which drew a few curious glances. "Ma'am, is everything all right? Do you need anything? Water? Maybe you should sit?" one of the Asari stewardesses asked looking concerned. Ali forced a pained smile.

"No, thank you, though. I'm quite all right."

"Yes, ma'am, just call if you need anything," the woman said not looking convinced but not pushing her point. All this thinking was getting the better of her, and she could feel the pain swelling inside of her like the ocean behind a damn during a flood. Staring out into the stars again, she repeated the motto over and over again in her head. When she felt that she could speak without bursting into tears, she made her way to one of the concierge counters.

"Do you have any connecting transports to Kahje from the Citadel?" Ali asked every word feeling like a punch to the gut, but she put on a brave face trying to get through this one thing before burying herself in a hole where she felt she could die.

"Yes, we do. There's one that leaves right after this one arrives at the Citadel. Do you need a ticket?" the Asari asked brightly.

"No, it's for a friend. He's on this transport. Can I get it for him?"

"Absolutely, all I need is a name, and I can get all his information from here."

"Tannor Nuara

"Ah, yes." She tapped a few more buttons, and the ticket came out of a slot on her desk. "Here you go. I hope he enjoys his flight."

"Thank you," Ali managed taking the proffered ticket and putting it in one of her pockets. She took a deep breath fighting back the tears that were burning the back of her eyes. _You're doing the right thing, Alisa. Now quit your whining and go spend some time with Thane. You still have another few days. Now make it count, you idiot._ She took another gasping deep breath pushing down the sob rising in her throat and headed back to their room.

* * *

Thane was about to take her backpack away from her when Ali turned to face him stopping him in his tracks. "What's wrong, Siha?" he asked warily seeing the pain in her eyes.

"You're not coming with me," she murmured quietly. Clearing her throat, she looked up into his eyes and continued bravely. "Have you actually thought about where this is going? I know I have. It may not work out. Then where will you be? On some strange space station with nowhere to go. The Hanar might not take you back. You would have to a contract assassin, and with nothing to come back to- to keep you grounded- what then?" She paused the emotion welling up in her chest threatening to break her, but with several deep steadying breaths, she looked back up into his face. His brow furrowed in confusion, and he was about to speak before she held her hand up. "I bought you a ticket for Kahje. It leaves in a few minutes. The transport is right behind you."

"Siha, I don't understand," he said before she could silence him again.

"Thane, please, don't argue. This is hard enough as it is. I can't live with the knowledge that after you invested so much into this relationship, it doesn't work out and you become lost." There was a pause during which Ali was having a hard time keeping her tears at bay again. They just kept threatening to overwhelm her, but she had to be strong.

"Do you not love me, Siha?" he finally asked the dreaded question. Her chin quivered. _Damn it, this is fucking harder than I thought._

"Of course I do. That's why-. I don't know what is going to happen once I step into the Citadel proper. I have the team to worry about now. They have to be my priority. Mark really screwed them up, and I have to rectify that because I didn't see his spiral into crime. I was too blinded by my faith in him. You have a life on Kahje. Friends on Kahje. You are close to your mentors. You should go back to them. You should find someone who is your own species to love."

"I don't want to find someone my own species, Siha. I want you," he growled lashing out with anger. She rested a hand on his cheek which he leaned into, and she almost gave in right there. Seeing the pain etched all over the scales on his face was almost enough to undo her right then and there. _No! Fuck, Alisa, stop being a pussy! Break this damn man's heart, so you won't break it in the future when he is even more in love with you. You know it will come to that._

"I love you, Thane. Maybe in another life. If we are old and world weary enough to give up on these lives we lead, maybe it could have worked. But I have my life and you have yours. They don't line up right now, but maybe they will. I'm not saying you should wait until they do. I want you to live your life to the fullest. And when you're sick of the assassin life and you have no wife, you can come back here. But right now, we have to move on. It's for the best." He closed his eyes for a few seconds pain written on his facial plates. When he opened them, Ali had tears rolling down her face. He quickly wiped them away with his knuckles. For a moment, she let herself just be weak. "I just wish-" He hushed her with a finger on her lips and smiled sadly at her.

"I will always be with you, Siha. I would not trade the time I had with you for anything. I love you."

Without letting her say another word, Thane had her in his arms holding her fiercely against him knowing this could possibly be the last time he could ever have her this way. He breathed deeply taking in her scent one last time before chastely kissing her. Thane ran his hand through her soft orange hair before turning and walking to the transport. He wasn't exactly sure why she was making him go. He definitely didn't want to, but he had to fulfill her wishes. That was what being in love meant: he had to let her go.

Ali watched him go through a blur of tears that had collected in her eyes but had not yet fallen. When he turned just before disappearing into the ship, she saw all the pain etched onto his face, and she almost lost her nerve in that moment feeling like someone had punched her low in the stomach. But as soon as he entered the ship, she turned and walked as fast as she could without drawing attention out of the docking bays and into a side street where no one was. She slid down the wall to the ground where she let the sobs wrack her body until she was spent. She felt like her world was breaking apart at the seams. How could she tell him to go like that? She loved him more than she had loved anyone in her entire life. How could she be so cold? There was a ping on her omni tool, and after a cursory look, she noticed it was one of the forwards from Mark's account, that by some miracle she was able to hack into. The entire team was meeting to get their assignments from Mark. This was her chance to make herself their leader in Mark's absence. She rose rubbing the tears off her face trying to gather some fraction of her poise before heading out and making her way to the meeting place.

* * *

**Ali, **

**I wasn't sure if I was allowed to message you or not. But I wanted to let you know that I am back on Kahje. The Hanar were pleased that I went after Nabu. Supposedly, they discovered that it was actually him behind the attacks on the outer colonies. He contracted me to kill the Salarian to get him out of the way, so he could funnel everything to himself. I thought it was ironic. But the job let me meet you, so it wasn't a total loss. **

**I have thought a lot about what you said, and why you made me leave. I think I understand the reasons. You were right. I would have been restless after a few weeks of just sitting around. And I heard that you took over Mark's team. I am proud of you. I hope there was little resistance on their part. **

**Whenever I have a job on the Citadel, I will try to make contact, and maybe we can meet for a meal or a drink. I will always love you, Siha. **

** Love, **

** Thane **

**Thane, **

**Of course you can message me. I am not cutting off all ties to you. I am glad that the Hanar are pleased with you. It makes me happy. **

**I did take over Mark's team. There was a little resistance from a few members, but I have them under close watch to make sure they don't try to kill me. I have taken the team in a new direction. All the jobs that we take now are to protect people or keep justice. I have made a few contacts with C-SEC. There is a young Lieutenant Bailey that may have a promising future. I have made a deal with him and a few of his superiors that as long as they turn a blind eye to any criminal deaths that look like murder, they can use people from my team as officers from time to time if they need them as extra fire power or undercover agents. It's a very different feeling being in charge of all of them instead of just conferring with Mark on his decisions. But I feel that I can do it. I think that I can make this team into heroes whether they like it or not. **

**If you are on the Citadel at any time, you had better contact me. I would very much enjoy seeing you again. I will always love you too, Thane. I have a meeting to get to with a few diplomats. Talk to you later. **

**With Love, **

** Ali **


	7. Chapter 7

Less than a year later, Thane married Irikah. In his letter to Ali, he said, "She woke me up from the battle sleep I was slowing being pulled into. I owe her a lot." She was happy for him, but a small part of her was hurt that he could find someone that fast when she was having trouble sleeping without him beside her.

"When can I meet her," she asked a week later when they vid commed. He looked uncomfortable for a second and glanced over his shoulder.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Ali." She frowned.

"Why not?"

"I don't think she would be happy that I invited the person who owns a piece of my heart into our life. Ali, there will always be a part of me who loves you, but I have to keep you separate from our family."

"Family? Is she pregnant?" A sheepish smile escaped his lips confirming it. "Oh, Thane, I am so happy for you." Then his words finally sank in. "Wait, you still love me?"

"Yes, I do. But I have to live my life just like you said."

"Yeah, like I said." She looked away trying to recollect herself. "Well, Thane, I have an early meeting with one of the councilors. I'll talk to you later?"

"Yes, I would like that, Ali. Until next time."

Over the next ten years, they treated each other like journals. Telling the other how each day went, what they did, who they killed. And they would give each other advice on how to solve problems. Like when one of her team members went too far into battle mode. Or when Thane and Irikah would have a fight about how long he was away from his family. They made it a mission to meet at least once a year on whatever planet was between them. Or if they happened to be on the same planet at the same time, they would meet under their aliases at a bar or in a restaurant. Thane knew more about Ali than she knew about herself and vice versa. They talked about anything and everything.

Then one day, there was silence. After he wrote, "I am at the docks on Kahje now. I will email you when I get home," there was nothing. Late that night, she gave up on sleep and went to her office to talk to the night staff. "Nat, could you get me in touch with any of our contacts on Kahje? There's something wrong," she asked when she got into the office.

"Absolutely, boss, what is it regarding?"

"Thane Krios. He's a contract assassin used to be part of the Compact."

"Bringing it up now."

"Ali, is that you?" a man asked over the vid comm.

"Yep, Danny, what's up?"

"You said Thane Krios, right?"

"Yes, I did. Any information?"

"Yeah, yesterday, Batarian slavers killed his wife. There's nothing about his kid, Kolyat, so I'd assume he is still alive. Irikah's funeral is in a few days. They're putting her in the sea. Does that answer any questions?"

"Yes, thank you. Over and out." She went into her office calmly then almost hyperventilated. "Oh my God, Thane." She rushed out of the office yelling over her shoulder at Natalie. "Get me on the fastest ship bound for Kahje."

* * *

Ali walked into the sticky, humid world of Kahje the next day not having slept all night. On the trip, she had almost blown up her ship a few times because she was pushing it so hard to get there in one day. She pulled out her directions to Thane's house where he was said to be staying until later that day. He was scheduled to leave on a transport for an undisclosed location. She hailed a cab and told the hover car her destination. The planet of Kahje was breathtaking. It looked like a watercolor painting: all pastel colors and smeared edges. The world was ninety-five percent water. There were a few scattered islands across the expansive ocean, and this was one of the bigger ones. Still only a hundred miles around the perimeter, but it was built upwards reaching for the dark clouds above. On a clear day, it was said that you could see the environmental dome above the city. She looked out the window to see Hanar and Drell alike going about their business. There were even Drell and Hanar communing with each other as they walked. _This community is closer than Thane described._ When the cab stopped outside a house near the ocean's edge, she got out and started up the path towards it. _Prime real estate. I wonder how much something this secluded cost him._ She knocked on the door just to be polite and was surprised when a small Drell boy, who couldn't be older than ten, answered. His eyes were watery and his mouth was pulled down at the edges. "Hi, you must be Kolyat. My name is Ali. Is your father here by any chance?" she asked crouching down to speak at the boy's level. Kolyat sniffed and opened the door wider to let her in.

"Father, there is someone here to see you," he called quietly into the living room. Ali put her bag down near the door out of the way, so no one would trip on it. Thane appeared at the adjoining doorway his eyes widening when he saw her.

"Ali," he breathed. "Son, why don't you get ready for the ceremony? I'll be right here if you need me." Kolyat nodded sullenly and went up the stairs.

"Ali, what are you doing here?"

"Why didn't you tell me? How hard is writing a simple email, Thane?" she whispered not breaking eye contact with him.

"Emailing you was not the first thought that I had," he growled lashing out at her. She took the blow silently though her face hardened.

"Thane, I am your friend. You have to trust me with things like this. I could have been here sooner if you had bothered to email me. When was the last time your son ate or had a bath? He looked terrible," she said harshly, but she had to jar him out of the battle sleep she could see that he was slowly dropping into. His eyes betrayed his shame before he could look away. "When is her ceremony, Thane?"

"Not for several hours," he murmured.

"Okay, here's what we're going to do, but I need you to stay here with me. If not for me, then for your son. He needs you." He nodded. "When was the last time you slept?"

"Not since before I came home."

"Then I want you to go upstairs and try to get at least an hour's sleep, Thane. I will take care of your son in the meantime. Don't worry. I have everything handled." She followed him up the stairs pushing when he hesitated. When he went into his bedroom, she locked the door from the outside.

Walking down the hall to Kolyat's room, Ali knocked on the door. "Come in," a small voice called. She walked into the boy's room finding him trying to force on shoes that were much too small for him.

"Oh, sweetie, I don't think those are going to fit," she said sitting down on his bed and taking them from him. She ran her hand over his head feeling how rough his scales were against her skin. She could tell that he was going to be just as handsome as his father when he grew up. His scales were much lighter than his father's and were blue instead of green. But he had the same markings on his face in black stripes. She wondered what Irikah looked like. "Can you tell me when the last time you had a bath was?"

"I don't know. It was probably the last time mom made me take one."

"Well, you want to look nice and clean for her ceremony right?"

"Yes," he said jutting out his lower lip in a pout.

"Then I think a bath is in order before we find some shoes that fit you."

"Okay," he said nodding and moving towards the bathroom adjoined to his room. He turned around and looked at her. "Miss Ali?"

"Yes, sweetheart."

"I don't understand why father wasn't here to make the bad men go away before they hurt mommy."

"Kolyat, it's not that your dad didn't want to be here. He had to be away to keep bad man like that away from other people's mommies."

"Why couldn't he save mine then?" Tears were filling his eyes which made Ali run over and scoop him up. He wrapped his arms around her neck and put his face into her shoulder.

"Oh, Kolyat, if you're father had known that people were going to hurt your mommy, he would have been here to protect her. But he didn't know."

"Why not?"

"Hush, no more questions, sweetheart. Today is the day that you celebrate how much time you had with your mommy. She was such an incredible woman and she loved you so much. You need to remember that when you want to cry. You want to cry because you're so happy that you were her son. Not because she had to leave. Kalahira will see your tears and tell Irikah about how happy you are that she was your mommy instead of anyone else. Can you do that for me?" Kolyat sat up straight in her arms and nodded slowly. "That's a strong, good boy. You're mom would be so proud. Now how about that bath? I want to see how these beautiful scales shine when they're clean." He nodded again a little more happily this time, and Ali let him walk to the bathroom on his own. She set the dehumidifier in the bathroom to high to keep the air from getting too moist for his lungs as Kolyat started the water and tested it with his hand until it was hot. He gave her a shy smile not wanting to take his clothes off in front of her. She winked and closed the door to bathroom letting him have his privacy as she went through his closet looking for suitable clothes.

Laying out what she thought would be suitable after reading up on Drell death ceremonies, Ali smiled at her selection thinking that Kolyat would look very handsome. All the fabrics on Kahje seemed to be made of sea plants which kept it from getting too moist from the humid air. It was very interesting. Plus the fabric was super light making it feel like the clothes she was holding were just air with texture. She set the outfit on the bed and quietly knocked on the bathroom door. "Kolyat, I put out some clothes on your bed when you're finished. I am going to check on your father, then I will be downstairs if you need anything," she called.

"Thank you, Miss Ali."

"You can just call me Ali, sweetheart."

"Thank you, Ali." She smiled to herself then went back down the hall to Thane and Irikah's room. She stopped at the door and pressed her ear against it. All she could hear was deep even breathing if only a little labored and thick sounding, and she cracked the door open soundlessly to see him laying on the bed. _Good, maybe he will feel better after some sleep._ She smiled and went down the stairs. There were broken ceramics and knocked over furniture everywhere. _I wonder if this was from the attack or if Thane did all this._

She frowned to herself picking up a holo of Irikah and Kolyat smiling up at her. Kolyat was about seven in this photo, and his smile was face splitting. She smiled at the fact that he looked so adorable. His mother was a different story. Irikah was magnificently gorgeous next to his cuteness. Her scales were blue and much lighter than her son's. Her own smile was something that seemed to light her up from within. _Sunset colored eyes. She was truly beautiful._ The photo changed to one of Irikah with Kolyat on her lap looking out over the ocean. They both looked so happy and content with one another. The photo changed again, and Kolyat was just a baby. Irikah was looking adoringly down at his sleeping face. The photos changed several more times, but Ali started to frown when she realized she didn't see one with Thane in it. Finally when she was about to put down the holo a picture popped up of just Thane and Irikah. He had her head on his lap and was gazing down at her with love. The next one was one that looked posed with him behind her and his arms around her waist. The last one was of the three of them together looking happy to just have each other's company. Smiling to herself, she set the holo down trying to stamp down the feeling of jealousy and hurt that came along with knowing Thane was in love with someone besides her.

Ali went to work cleaning up the mess of the lower level as she waited for Kolyat to get dressed. She righted furniture and swept up pieces of glass until everything was picked up. As she scanned one of Irikah's many recipes, she picked one she thought sounded good and set about making them a meal before the funeral. _She liked cooking as much as I do. That's something else we have in common. I wish I could have met her. It doesn't seem right being in this house without her invitation._ The ingredients weren't too hard to find once she looked up on her omni tool what everything was supposed to look like. The kitchen seemed about the same as the one in her apartment, so that was a load off her shoulders. She mixed everything together as specified and put it in the oven to cook. Nodding proudly at herself, she sat down at the table to go over status reports on her tool.

"What's that smell? Lunch?" Kolyat asked when he walked into the kitchen with his nose in the air sniffing deeply.

"Yes, I used one of your mom's recipes. I hope you don't mind." He was wearing the funeral clothes that she had set out for him, and in her opinion, he looked very handsome.

"No, Mom liked to share her recipes. She was a really good cook."

"I hope I did her justice then," she said smiling at the young boy. _Wow, he is a really great kid. Irikah, you will never cease to amaze me._ She took the dish out of the oven and made him a plate which she placed in front of him with a flourish. "Ta-da." He laughed and dug into the food with fervor. "Kolyat, how long has it been since you last ate?"

"Uh, yesterday, I think. I was at my Aunt's house. I ate just before father came and got me." Her brow furrowed.

"Well, have as much as you want, but try not to get any on your clothes."

"Okay." Ali left the kitchen going back up the stairs to check on Thane and maybe wake him up. It had been well over an hour since she sent him to bed.

Pausing at the door to listen to the interior, Ali heard the rustling of fabric. She knocked lightly on the door. "Come in," Thane called gently. She opened the door and froze when she saw he was naked from the waist up and was shoeless. "Ali, do you need something?" She swallowed continuing in the room and closing the door behind her.

"No, I was about to wake you up, but it seems I didn't need to."

"The smell of food roused me."

"Well, there is some lunch waiting in the kitchen if you are hungry before heading off to wish Irikah goodbye."

"You can't wear that," he said looking down at her clothes.

"What-what's wrong with what I'm wearing?" Glancing down, Ali surveyed her dress. The neckline was high at the base of her throat. There was a moderate V down the back. The skirt of the dress went to just below her knees. The black pumps weren't too high. She thought it had been a good choice. Pretty but modest.

"Unless you want every Drell male to stare at you, you should change."

"I've always worn things like this around you."

"Most Drell don't leave Kahje, so they wouldn't be used to seeing other species especially someone with so little clothes on." She shook her head in confusion. There was a little humor in his eyes at her stunned silence. "Drell women wear high necked shirts with long sleeves and skirts almost to the floor. And no heels."

"But I don't have anything like that to wear. Plus have you felt how hot it is here? That's crazy. I would die."

"You would be amazed how cool the native clothes keep you here. I will get you something of Irikah's to wear. Wait here."

"No, Kolyat can't see me in his mother's clothes." He glanced over his shoulder.

"There are a few things she had never worn. And she almost never clothed herself in black. She liked colors." Her brow furrowed, but she couldn't really argue with him. Men staring at her during a funeral would not be a good thing.

"Okay, fine. Thank you."

"There is no need."

After getting dressed in the bathroom, Ali stepped out straightening her clothes. It looked all right, but it had taken some inventiveness to fit her breasts into the shirt. Drell women didn't have breasts. It was lucky that Irikah and she were roughly the same size. Then the thought hit her that maybe it had more to do with Thane's tastes. Brushing the thought aside, she finally looked up at him and immediately felt her heart break. His eyes were dead. She took a step forward grabbing his face in her hands. "Oh, Thane, no." He grabbed her wrists removing them, but he didn't let her go. She could smell him she was standing so close, and his breath tickled her neck. Ali wanted so much just to collapse into his arms and hold him. Her blood heated up, and she knew he could hear her heart starting to race. A small glint of light was reflected deep in his eyes which told her he could in fact sense everything his closeness was doing to her.

"Don't worry, Siha. It has been decided. After the ceremony today, I am leaving to make those Batarians pay for killing Irikah." He gently released her arms and took a step back letting her finally take a breath.

"What about Kolyat?"

"I will leave him with his Aunts and Uncles."

"Thane, he needs his father. He just lost his mom, don't take away his dad too."

"Siha, enough," he growled narrowing his eyes at her, and just like that, the light was gone. She felt tears fill her eyes and fall down her cheeks.

"Please, don't do this."

"I don't wish to talk about this any further." Her eyes hardened.

"Fine, just know that if you leave that poor boy on his own without a father to turn to, you are not to speak to me again." He looked up at her unblinkingly.

"Is that really what you wish?"

"I don't know how you could just leave that incredible boy behind."

"I don't do it lightly. I need to protect him. And doing what I do best is the only way I know how, Siha." There was a pause as he seemed to notice he had been calling her that the entire time. "Will you watch over him while I am away?" he finally asked quietly. Ali found that she couldn't refuse him even if she wanted to cut all ties.

"Yes."

"Thank you." Thane pulled a shirt over his head. He was wearing navy blue. It was almost the same design as the outfit Ali had picked out for Kolyat except the boy's was black.

"I hope this brings you some kind of peace, Thane."

"It will. Do you still wish to cut off all ties?"

"Check in weekly with your location and status. That's all I ask. But I can't forgive you for this."

"I hope it won't offend you if I carry you in my heart, Siha."

Kolyat was talking with his Aunts and Uncles in the corner of their living room. Thane was standing next to her with his hands behind his back, his spine totally straight and rigid. This seemed to be just like the human practice. The family would go back to someone's house and exchange stories which made Ali feel like she shouldn't be here. But Kolyat had insisted. If it was possible, Thane tensed more beside her grabbing her attention. His eyes had narrowed but were darting back and forth like he was seeing something else. Sidling a little closer as to not arouse too many eyes, she squeezed his hand. His eyes cleared, and he looked over at her. "Thank you," he murmured. "That memory was unpleasant." She nodded and glanced back over at Kolyat. Beside her, Thane relaxed a little and turned to the door.

"Wait, Thane, you need to at least say goodbye to him. Leaving like this will haunt you." He glanced over his shoulder and nodded subtly before heading over to his son. He pulled him aside and kneeled down in front of his son. She closed her eyes in pain and left out the front door but not before she heard the strangled sob that escaped Kolyat's lips.

Leaning against the wall, Ali lifted her face into the sun. Thane had been right. The clothes kept her abnormally cool in this sticky, hot weather. She had gotten her fair share of stares during the funeral anyway, but that was more than likely because she was a human. A few minutes past before Thane opened the door and came out into the heat. He lifted his face as well, and his scales shined in the sunlight. His dark eyes met hers for several long moments before he turned to his hovercar. "Thane," she started. _But I don't know what to say._ He glanced over his shoulder. "Please, don't. Just stay here. I will help you." Before she could stop herself, she had her arms wrapped around his chest from behind. He let out a breath and placed a hand over hers rubbing his thumb against her soft skin.

"This is all I know how to do, Siha. You have to let me do it."

"No," she choked out.

"Siha," he sighed before grabbing her arm and twirling her around. He hugged her tight inhaling the scent of her hair for what he felt might be the last time. "Make sure he is safe." Without another word, he released her and turned climbing into his hovercar.

"Ali?" Kolyat asked timidly. She turned hurriedly wiping the tear from her eyes and smiled brightly at him.

"Do you need something, sweetie?"

"Are you going to leave too?" Her brow furrowed in pain. She was not his mother, and there was no way she could stay here. Her lips thinned. Kneeling in front of him, she took his hands in hers.

"Yes, I have to. Kolyat, I don't live here. I came because I am close friends with your father. He asked me to make sure that you are always safe. And I _will_ do that." She paused lifting his chin to force him to look at her. "But I'm not your mother, and I cannot try to take her place though I do want to. Anytime you need me. And I mean anytime day or night. You call, and I will be on the first ship here. I give you my word." He glanced up at her, and she wiped his tears from his cheeks.

"You promise?"

"Here give me your hand." He did as she said, and she hooked her pinky finger with his. "I pinky swear. Now on Earth this is very meaningful especially in a country called Japan. They belief that when someone does this, their souls are bound together with something call the red thread of fate."

"Really?"

"Yes, I am bound to my word now. I will never leave you, Kolyat." He wrapped his arms around her neck and started sobbing into her shoulder. She hugged him back allowing him to let it all out. She kept silent knowing words wouldn't help him. Kolyat had survived the worst few days of his life. Nothing would change that, but she could let him feel better about tomorrow.

* * *

Ten years was a long while. Ali was lost for a time after Thane left that rainy day on Kahje. She would never forget Kolyat's asking Thane why he hadn't been home when those Batarians killed her. Irikah's body slipped into the water never to be seen again, and Ali found herself sending a prayer off to Kalahira. _If you could send a message to Irikah, it would be much obliged. Tell her that I will watch over her boys to the best of my abilities. I will make sure Kolyat grows to be the man he is destined to be, and Thane comes back from whatever horrible place he is trapped in._ Unfortunately, she still couldn't get Thane out of his battle sleep. It was like his soul was gone and only his body remained. Kolyat had shut her out several years after Irikah died which she couldn't blame him for. Ali wasn't his mother. She kept an eye on him through his Aunts and Uncles who she had met on her rare visits to Kahje. He was a troubled teenage boy. Who wouldn't be if his mom died when he was ten and his dad left the day of her funeral?

Ali had done a lot to keep her team safe especially during the battle of the Citadel when the Reaper Sovereign had destroyed a lot of the space station. She was almost glad that most of her team was away on a mission. There had been a geth facility who was attacking a joint Asari and human colony on the outskirts of the terminus system where it met council space. The Council had said they couldn't help them because the colony was in the Terminus system by a couple hundred miles. They had asked that Ali interfere for them while their Spectres took care of more pressing business. Only five were left on the Citadel plus her when it was attacked by the geth then Sovereign. Ali saved as many people as she could. She worked closely with C-SEC bringing them together and putting them into action with the help of her good friend Bailey. He was made a Captain after the attack which made her proud. He deserved it.

Then human colonies started disappearing. She wasn't a fan of Commander Shepard, but when she heard the reports that he was alive, she couldn't help but feel grateful. At least someone who believed in the Reapers was fighting. She took most of her people out of the outer most colonies and paid for her contacts and their families to clear out too. She didn't want to risk any of her people being caught by whatever was abducting these poor colonists. "Freedom's Progress, huh?" she asked through her vid comm. She was in the safety of her own private office because she didn't want anyone to hear about another colony. The Turian nodded. "And you can confirm that Shepard was there investigating it?"

"Yes, ma'am. I saw him with my own eyes. He was with a male and a female. There were also some quarians there, but I don't believe they were there together. One of them was Tali Zora Vas Neema," he said reading off his notes.

"Really? Did she go with him?"

"No, ma'am. She went on a separate ship headed to where the Flotilla was last reported being."

"Very interesting. So Shepard is alive. I guess the Shadow Broker didn't end up getting his body after all. Cerberus did well bringing him back. Do you have anything else for me?"

"Yes, we managed to get a few files off the Illusive Man's server through the Normandy before the AI booted us out. We just got bits and pieces. That's one hell of an AI they have outfitted on that ship. The only thing that really jumped out was a name and a location."

"And?"

"Ma'am, it was Thane Krios on Illium." She sat back in her seat for a second.

"Hmm, that's very intriguing. Thank you very much for your information. You're payment will be transferred to your bank account immediately," she said typing the order into an email to Natalie which she sent without proofing it. "Please get back into safe space until further orders."

"Yes, ma'am," the Turian said before clicking off the vid comm.

"Natalie, will you get me on the first ship going to Illium, please."

"Right away, ma'am." She pulled up Thane's last message to her. It said his target and the date the hit will go down. She didn't have much time to get to him before Shepard could. She wasn't sure what the commander wanted with him, but it was safe to assume that it was nothing good.

"I missed you at your apartment," Ali said without preamble when she settled beside him. They were on the roof of one of the buildings next to the Dantius Towers. The wind was cold and brutal. She was surprised that he was standing perfectly still.

"This is the night I am killing Nassana, Ali. You knew that." She still wasn't used to the way he spoke to her now in his battle sleep. Not that she had spoken to him much since he left Kahje that fateful day.

"Yes, I did. Good thing you're one of the few Drell here otherwise it would have been hard to find you. What are you doing here anyway?"

"I am contemplating my life."

"And?"

"I am dying, Ali."

"Kepral's, I know." He looked over at her and cocked his head slightly. "I've been keeping an eye on you, Thane."

"I thought you might be. You kept a good distance though." He continued staring at the towers.

"Yes, I had to."

"Why?"

"Because you broke my heart when you left Kahje. I didn't want to reopen old wounds by getting too close." She said this matter of factly even coldly, but she still felt that little twinge of pain. He looked over at her again his eyes clouding with pain. The first emotion she had seen in those eyes except anger in ten years.

"I apologize, Ali. I had no idea-" She cut him off with a movement of her hand.

"I don't want your pity, Thane. Not if it isn't real." There was a particularly strong gust of wind which she tensed against. An arm wrapped around her waist, and he pulled her to his chest. Not being able to stop herself, Ali inhaled his scent feeling the pain of losing him which had taken up permanent residence in her heart. But there was also a pleasant feeling that came with being near him again. She stood up straight using him as a support against the gale. It faded slightly, and he loosened his grip but kept her enclosed in his embrace.

"Ali, I am not going to try and make it up to you. I am only going to say that I am in love with you even now. I have never stopped. Your memory is what keeps me sane in this world. I don't expect you to return my love, but I do wish that you look back at the memories we made together with fondness rather than regret." She looked up at him seeing the Thane she knew and loved in his eyes before he brought his lips to her. His kiss was gentle and before he had could give in to his want to deepen it, he ended it. "I plan on dying tonight. Maybe the burdens that I have put on you will be lifted," he whispered into her ear breathing in her scent one last time. When she looked up, Thane was gone, and she was alone once again with pain and the slight flush that came from him.

Numbed by emotional trauma at finding that the only person she had ever loved was planning on dying in the towers across from her, Ali sat on the edge of the roof watching the Dantius Towers from her vantage point. "Arashu, please, protect Thane in his mission. Don't let him die. I still need him. Against all sense I still love that moron. Irikah, if you can hear me, take pity on your poor husband and protect him from the darkness that has disconnected his soul from his body," she breathed letting the wind take the words from her mouth. She had never been a very religious person, but Thane's religion had sounded so beautiful to her that she still prayed to his gods and goddesses.

She watched as Shepard and his team went into the first tower. The windows came alive with the muzzle flashes from numerous weapons. "Shepard, get to him before Nassana's guards can kill him." What seemed like an eternity later but was probably only an hour or so, Thane walked out the front doors with Shepard and the rest of his team. Ali rose from her perch and left without another glance. So he will live to fight another impossible battle. _Let's hope Shepard will keep him alive for me. Thank you, Arashu and Irikah._

* * *

It was some weeks before she got reports that an additional Drell was on the Citadel. Ali had been tracking Kolyat for some time trying to discern when he was going to make his move, so she could stop him. Shepard was with Thane which made her job of getting the information he needed to him a bit harder, but she craved the challenge. It was when Bailey told her they were after Mouse when she saw her opportunity. She walked up right when Shepard had thrown down the young man. Thane shook his head silently telling Shepard to go easy on him. Ali walked up to them putting her hand protectively on Mouse's shoulder. "Ali?" Mouse started.

"It's okay, Mouse. I will be helping the commander and your old friend Thane for now. I hear that you have been trying to get back to Earth?" she asked gently totally ignoring the other two. He nodded slowly not sure where she was going. Ali hit a few buttons on her omni tool without batting an eyelash. "Enough money to get there and start a clean life has just been transferred to your bank account, Mouse."

"Earth. Lights of a home you've never seen. Half remembered fairy tales from your mother," Thane said quietly seemingly lost in a memory. Mouse nodded slightly at him then brought his attention back to the woman in front of him.

"Thanks, Ali. I will email you when I get there."

"I will have people making sure you are staying clean."

"Yes, ma'am." She smiled warmly at the young man before he turned and left.

"Ali, what are you doing here?" Thane asked quietly.

"My job. I don't let my contacts get bullied for information especially when that information can get them killed. You will do well to remember that, Shepard."

"Do you have the name?" he asked gruffly. He took a threatening step forward making Ali smile bemused with his attitude.

"You've been dead a few years, commander. I know you don't know who I am. But when I say if you cross me again it will end badly, I mean it. I would love to go up against you. I haven't had a good fight in years," she growled taking the last step that lay between them. "Thane, I have Elias Kelham in one of the interview rooms in Bailey's sector. Bailey and Kelham have a mutual understanding so keeping the good Captain's name out of it would be much appreciated. I gave Bailey the name of the target in case you wanted to skip the interview, so all you have to do is ask." She paused looking Shepard up and down before looking over at the Drell who was barely hiding a smile behind his hand. "And next time, leave the attack dog in the Normandy." She shot the commander another venomous look before stalking away. Thane finally got his smile under control and looked over at Shepard who was speechless.

Thane had a hard time keeping his eyes off her as she walked away. Her orange hair swayed down her back. She had not worn it loose that often when he knew her, and he thought it was quite becoming. She was wearing a scoop neck purple t-shirt with skinny jeans that hugged her curves along with black boots that ended right under her knees. She was wearing slightly heavier makeup than she used to but he liked it. It emphasized the unique color of her eyes and stuck out against her pale skin. She had a cuff on her wrist which had the insignia of her team on it. Its purpose was unknown to him, but he found himself curious. He wanted to follow her with every fiber of his being, but he was pledged to the commander. He vowed to himself that he would find her after he saved his son if only to see her again.

"Who was that woman?"

"An old friend. She runs an elite team who fight for justice and the councilors on occasion. She is good friends with Captain Bailey as well. She helps him on a lot of jobs."

"She had some balls threatening me like that."

"She also has the ability to follow through. I suggest you do not go up against her, Commander."

When Ali saw Kolyat on the Citadel doing community service for C-SEC, she had half a mind to email Thane, but she refrained. "Kolyat, how have you been? It's been a long time since we last saw each other," she said smiling warmly at the young Drell. He looked at her for a few seconds with his head cocked in much the same way as his dad used to do.

"Ali?" he asked not quite believing that he was seeing her again. "It has been a long time. I am doing-" he drifted looking for an accurate word. "Better."

"I am so glad to hear that. What has Bailey had you do so far?"

"Picking up trash. He says that it builds character." She laughed at the face he made. Ali remembered when he had made that face when she had taken him to Earth right after his father left. She thought an aquarium/zoo trip would be interesting for him. He had grimaced like that when he saw the jellyfish thinking they were Hanar trapped behind the glass.

"Maybe I can get Bailey to turn your community service over to me. I have to warn you though. It's not going to be easy. I believe that punishment needs to be just no matter the relationship with the party at fault." His face lit up ever so slightly.

"Would you really do that for me?"

"On one condition." His face soured again reminding her that he was a hurting, moody teenager like any other human his age.

"What?"

"You give me a hug. I have missed you, Kolyat." He smiled sheepishly looking around to make sure no one was watching before scooping her up into a bone crushing hug. She chuckled patting his back gently before he let her back on her own two feet.

"I have missed you too, Ali. Have you been talking to my father?"

"Not much since he left Kahje. I did tell him who your target was though. He was worried about you, sweetheart."

"In his package to me, the one I was supposed to get after he died telling me about his career." He paused, pain and anger clouding his eyes which prompted her to make him continue.

"Yes, what about it?"

"He mentioned you a lot in it. He also kept all your correspondence. He even had some pictures and vid comm recordings. He said that he had loved you this whole time even more than my mom." Ali closed her eyes knowing how much he must feel betrayed. But he put his hand on her shoulder and looked down to make eye contact. "Are you still in love with him?" She thought for a moment all ready knowing her answer.

"I never stopped, Kolyat." He beamed at her.

"I was hoping you would say that. Maybe you can forgive him for leaving me on Kahje when he went after my mom's killers?"

"I don't know. It's been a long time. There's a great rift between us."

"He said in his last message to me that he was going to be back on the Citadel in a week. Will you please meet with him in my place?"

"Kolyat, I don't think that's a good idea. These meetings are meant for you."

"I'm not going anywhere. After Shepard releases him from the mission, he plans on moving here for the medical program anyways. We can get plenty caught up before he dies then. Please, I just really want you to be friends again."

"You're just going to keep badgering me until I say yes, aren't you?"

"Absolutely."

"Then let me spare myself a headache and acquiesce now." He beamed at her again before looking over his shoulder at his community service supervisor who was tapping his watch.

"I had better get back to work. Hopefully you will be a little nicer when you're my supervisor?"

"Oh, there is no way you are getting off easy, young man."

"Ali, you sound like my mom." She shot him a look before smiling and walking away letting him get back to work.

* * *

**Author's Note: Finally back home sleeping in my own bed. Vacation is great and all but those hotel beds are definitely not what they used to be during childhood. I remember when I was excited to sleep in those HUGE beds. Now I am just happy to be home on my tiny little bed. But a little time away from real life is always a blessing. Thank you all who have stayed with me this long. I hope Thane and Ali's "break up" wasn't too horrible for you all, but I promise it won't last forever. **

**These next few chapters are going to be an between kind of thing. Their next adventure will begin during the story of ME 3. Hope you enjoy. Until Friday have a great rest of you week.**


	8. Chapter 8

"So Kolyat made you meet with me?" Thane said slowly after he got over the initial shock of walking into Ali's new apartment rather than the place he agreed to meet his son.

"Yes, he insisted that we rekindle our friendship. He claims that our friendship is what got him through his mother's death knowing that I was there for you. Then when he came into possession of your box in which you told him our entire history including our conversation in your home before Irikah's funeral, he wanted to get us to reconcile. At least that was what he told me. Did he even tell you that I would be here instead of him?"

"No, he must have forgotten to mention that. He said this apartment was Bailey's and that he was staying here for a while before he made enough money to get a place of his own."

"Well, part of that is true. He is waiting to get enough money to get a place of his own, but he is not staying with the good Captain. He is staying with one of my men who has taken him under his wing. He must not have mentioned that his community service was transferred over to my capable hands."

"No, I have been getting the status updates from Captain Bailey."

"Ah, he would be forwarding my own updates to you," she said with a slight grin.

"What have been doing to my son?"

"I have him working around the office at times. Training with some of my team learning the ropes so to say. Lately, I have been letting him go on a shadowing basis to some of my safer jobs with C-SEC. He has been making a lot of progress, Thane. The training is giving him discipline and an outlet for all his anger and frustrations. The odd jobs are showing him what his training can do to help people."

"I am very impressed, Ali. It seems you're the figure he has needed all along." Ali shook her head.

"No, what he needs is a present father. I am only his stand in right now. I am the friend giving him what he needs to cope with his father coming back into his life." He looked away before changing the subject to something less painful.

"So, he wants us to become friends once again?"

"It would seem so."

"How do you propose we do that?"

"Redeveloping the trust that used to be between us would be a good place to start."

"Trust, yes, I believe you may be right."

"We first gained each other's trust when we were after Nabu. Might I suggest a job?"

"What kind of job?"

"Easy, get in, take out the leader of a start up gang that has been making a lot of trouble for Bailey, and get out."

"Sounds like a plan. When would you like to get started?"

"Since you are all ready in armor and have weapons. Might I suggest immediately?" Thane stood and nodded.

"Just let me get some armor on," she murmured rising and heading for her floor safe. She crouched and typed in the password before opening it and pulling out her armor. It was the exact same armor that they issued at the Facility except by this point in time, she had made a few upgrades and added her own touches to it. The color had changed from blue to a dark green which was a little easier to blend in with though she would have liked black better, but her customized mods in black hadn't arrived yet. She set the armor aside pulling out her pistol and knife leaving the sniper rifle in the safe.

"We have to make the assassination rather public wearing the C-SEC emblem on our shoulders," Ali said in the cab on the way to the lower wards and warehouse area of the Citadel. She handed him the emblem, so he could put it on his shoulder. "So that means we can't kill all the members of the gang. They have to pass on that a commando team belonging to C-SEC stormed in and killed their leader. Of course we're not going to storm in. I plan on making the time when they notice us as close to the kill as possible."

"Was that what Bailey wants?"

"Yes, he wants any criminals planning on making a violent gang like this one afraid of C-SEC. Of course the commando team doesn't exist. It's just going to be you and me. Plus my team usually takes care of these big busts instead of C-SEC though some of my men are training an elite team of C-Sec officers for future busts."

"Your team seems to be anywhere and everywhere."

"We just go where we're needed."

"Even on the colonies after the Collectors have hit them?"

"I never send my team in after those. They are all human. I don't want to risk any of them being caught up in the casualties. I know some people hold out hope that maybe the colonist aren't being slaughtered in the Collector's base, but I am not an optimist when it might put my people in danger. The only people I ask to go into the Terminus Systems now are non-human contacts. And even with them, I am hesitant."

"I see. You are very protective of your people."

"I am. It's the only reason they follow me. They know I would never send them into a situation that I wouldn't throw a loved one into. I want them coming back to me."

"I am guessing Mark wasn't so compassionate."

"No, near the end, he got three members killed in less than two months. He was greedy and took the high risk missions because the payout was bigger."

"It is a good thing you took him out then. Otherwise who knows if there would be any of you left by now." She nodded looking over at him. "Are you ready for this, Ali?"

"Absolutely, I haven't been on a job in a couple months. I was starting to get restless. I wouldn't have anyone else watching my back."

* * *

Ali silently made her way across the thick beams on the roof of the warehouse. It was packed with mercenaries of all different species. She saw humans, Asari, Turians, krogan, a couple Batarians, and some Salarians in the crowd. Then she turned her attention to the leader below her on a raised platform. He was Batarian, old by the scars all across his face even a few of his eyes were milky. "This can't be the real leader. How would he garner so much support? He has to be a puppet. No Krogan would follow a beat up, old Batarian who is blind in half his eyes," she breathed into her comm.

"Agreed, but I can't make out who the actual leader is." Looking around the room, she focused again on the Batarian. She watched as he raised a finger to his ear and readjusted his comm.

"He is being fed the speech through his comm. The leader could be across the Citadel," she grumbled.

"No, he would want to see how many people turned out. He has to have some kind of ego to gather this many different species under one roof." She knew Thane was right, but neither of them had the tech skills to hack into his comm link to look for the source. She dialed into another channel on her comm getting in touch with her tech specialist.

"What's up, boss?" Stein asked.

"Don't call me that," she snapped before rolling her eyes. "I need to hack into someone's comm link to track who he is talking to. Can you give me step by step instructions on how to do that?"

"You still can't do any tech, ma'am?" he asked disbelievingly.

"I am lucky if I can hack through a door on my second try, Stein. Just tell me how to do it."

"I am sending you the program now just point it at the guy whose comm link you want to hack into, and it will do the rest. Don't you think you should learn how to do at least minimal tech stuff? I mean it's not going away any time soon here, boss."

"Shut up, and thank you for the quick assist."

"Sure, any time." Switching back to her comm channel with Thane, she sighed in exasperation.

"Sometimes, certain members of my team need to be taught a lesson," she grumbled. Thane chuckled softly but said nothing. "Here goes nothing." She pointed her omni tool at the Batarian and sent the program. Immediately, a glowing dot showed up on her map showing exactly where the person on the other end was. "Bingo. Thane, some cover fire when I drop down would be much appreciated."

"I got it covered, Ali."

Taking a deep, centering breath letting her battle mode unfurl and engulf her, Ali unsheathed her knife and dropped from the beams. She spun in the air a few times before landing perfectly on her target's shoulders before sliding down his back. She slammed her knife into his spine severing it like butter. His mouth opened and closed several times before he fell dead. Immediately, the first guy to take out his weapon was rewarded with a bullet in the brain by Thane. The next one was downed not a second later. Ali sharply sent her knife in an arc snapping all the blood off the blade before sliding it back into her sheath. She took out her pistol sending bullets into the people crowded around her making her space a little bigger. All around her Asari were charging up their biotics and Krogan were preparing to charge. And Ali loved every second of it. The scene seemed to be moving in slow motion as she sent bullets into the Asari before they could hit her with any biotics and leapt over Krogan as they charged. Thane was above on the beams taking out anyone who got too close to her. Before long, there were dead bodies strewn around her in a circle with a diameter of twenty feet before the rest of the mercs began running for the exits. The last remaining mercs were easily taken care of by a few bullets between the two of them before Thane dropped to the floor beside Ali.

When she glanced his way, she saw his smile, and the world came back into normal focus as her battle mode went back into its corner without a fuss. This was what it felt like fighting beside him all those years ago, and it still felt so good. He was the same Thane that she could trust with her life. And he was the same Drell she fell in love with. The battle sleep that had been there was gone. His eyes were full of life, and it made Ali want to cry with joy. He was back. He was her Thane again. "That was fun," she murmured. He looked over at her with a small smile playing at the corners of his lips.

"Yes, it was. I had almost forgotten how it feels fighting with you." She found herself laughing.

"You? Forget? Sure," she teased. He smiled at her again.

"Maybe not fully. I hadn't been dwelling on it as of late. Not as much as the feel of your skin against mine." _This had taken an unexpected turn._ It was confusing how her heart was telling her to do one thing and her head was telling her something completely different. Her mind was a lot harsher on people than her heart. But it felt like she was being painfully ripped in two. Either way, she knew one of them would end up torturing her. In the end, she decided the pain in her chest couldn't really get any worse, and she had lived with the pain for so long that it didn't even seem to matter anymore. Like an injury that never healed, but she got used to it and really only felt it when it flared up.

"Thane, you don't know how much I want to start up where we left off, but it's too soon."

"I know. I was simply being honest and upfront with you, Ali."

"Thank you," she said before taking a final look at the warehouse. "Let's get out of here. I need something to eat. I know a place on the lower wards that's pretty good." _Ow, in the end, my heart is going to end up being the death of me._

Halfway there a call came through her omni tool. "Yeah, Ali here," she said putting her hand to her ear adjusting the ear piece.

"Boss," Stein started.

"Don't call me that," she interrupted sharply.

"Sorry, I'm getting feedback on one of our comm links. It's coming from Baker."

"What is he doing today?"

"You sent him into the lower wards to gather intel about a guy named Fade."

"Ah, yes, the identity man. Do you know why there's feedback?"

"I keep trying to call him, and all I am getting is static. I keep picking up what sounds like voices, but no matter what I try I can't make out what they're saying." Ali sighed shaking her head.

"Okay, give me the location."

"Do you want me to send you anyone?"

"No, I can handle it."

"Is something wrong?" Thane asked looking concerned.

"One of my guys is not picking up his comm link. My techie is just getting static," Ali explained giving the hovercar new directions.

"What was he doing?"

"Getting intel on a guy named Fade. Bailey has been after him for a while. I was going to give him enough information to make an arrest."

"Fade? I believe that is the man Garrus is after."

"Garrus Vakarian? On the Normandy?"

"Yes."

"Great. That means Shepard is with him."

"What's your problem with him?"

"I don't like how he operates. Kill first ask questions later. Did you like him beating up on Mouse?"

"No, sometimes I don't agree with how he gets there, but his endgame is noble."

"Yeah, sure."

* * *

When they got to where the comm link was traced to, Ali looked around the room. There were several dozen dead mercs and destroyed mechs, but there was no sign of her man. She picked the ear piece up off the ground looking it over for any damage. "Baker," she called into the empty room.

"Boss? Is that you?" a merc asked as he stepped out from behind some crates. She bit back a sigh.

"Don't call me that. What happened here?" The man took off his helmet and looked between Ali and Thane.

"I was doing what you asked me to do: gather intel on the Fade character. The only way I could get into this warehouse was by pretending to be a Blue Sun. Then all hell broke loose when some guy came in here with a spray of bullets. I was lucky to duck behind this crate. Even more lucky that he wasn't looking for me."

"Who was with him?"

"Uh, a Turian and a Salarian."

"I believe that's Garrus Vakarian and Dr. Mordin Solus, Ali," Thane murmured from where he was standing beside her. She nodded at him then looked back at Baker.

"Any injuries?"

"No, just a few bruises from trying to get my body to fit in that crate, and this armor chafes like you wouldn't believe." She smiled humorlessly.

"Get yourself back to HQ then. I will take care of it from here."

"With all due respect, hell no, ma'am. I want to finish this job. I spent a three full days here gathering intel. Some of these men weren't even that bad. They were just hired to do a job. They didn't deserve to die this way. I am coming with you."

"Does this really mean this much to you?"

"Yes."

"Then keep up, Baker. I don't wait for people."

"Oh, I remember that too well, Ali," he said with a smile. She returned it knowing that he meant back at the Fac.

They made it easily through the maze of warehouse just following the bodies of the mercs. Baker would make sounds in the back of his throat when he recognized one of them, but other than that, their trek was silent until they made it to the current fight. Thane noticed that Ali was trembling with every new massacred that presented itself. He knew that she was taking these deaths onto her own conscious. And he was getting worried about her state of mind, the memory of that night so long ago when he had kissed her the first time. The memory sent shivers down his spine, but he pushed it back not wanting to become distracted. "Baker, remind me of your designation again," she murmured when they took cover behind some crates.

"Sierra10Mike07India08," he said quickly. She nodded mostly to herself.

"I want you to fire at Shepard and his team, but I need you to shoot very wide. And you better not get shot yourself. Just make it so the other mercs don't fire at you also. I am going to go up and over with these pulleys along with Thane. We are just going to be tagging along with Shepard. He's going to do all the work. Got it?"

"Roger that. See you in a few minutes," he said saluting and moving out of cover.

"Come on. We need to get to the rails up there."

When Ali and Thane dropped down on the far side of the warehouse, Shepard and his team were all ready in the office with Fade. Baker was still climbing up the barricades. But what was happening in the office was more interesting to her. She jerked her head to the near door indicating she wanted Thane to take that entrance. She skirted around to go in the other side. Listening closely to the voices on the inside, she waited until Garrus sounded about ready to kill Fade before she entered. "Hands off, Shepard," she said walking in with her pistol pointed at his head. Thane came in from the other side though his stance was a little more relaxed than hers. His SMG was pointed at the ground, and he was watching everyone instead of threatening his teammates.

"What are you doing here?" he growled giving the Turian the go ahead to let Fade fall to the floor. Harkin did not look too good, but she never promised to bring in the criminal unharmed. She only said alive.

"My job. Bailey wants Fade alive. I'm here to deliver him to C-SEC."

"Like hell," the Turian threatened standing up to his full height.

"Mr. Vakarian, I don't want to cause any trouble. Did Harkin give you the information you wanted?" she asked diplomatically.

"Yes."

"He is not the man you want to kill so let him be. Bailey will make sure that he does time. I give you my word that if the charges don't stick for any reason, that I will kill him myself." He contemplated the thought for a moment. He knew her from when he was with C-SEC, and she was an honorable person who did what she advertized.

"Sounds all right to me," he finally relented taking a step away from Harkin.

Shepard took a step forward. "Who are you to mess with my ops?" he snarled his slightly red tinged eyes flashing angrily at her.

"Ali Daniels. I warned you about messing with _my_ ops before, commander," she replied snidely and crossed her arms sinking her weight haughtily into a hip.

"You know that I am a Spectre. I can do whatever I want in Citadel Space."

"Yes, you are a Spectre. However will I counter that? Oh yes, I work for the Council on several jobs. Things that you Spectres don't have the manpower, skill, or will to do. I can just tell them that you are messing with my ops. You can still receive a formal rebuff from the Council because that's who you answer to, Commander."

"What exactly is your problem with me, Miss Daniels?"

"I have no problem with you. You're one of the few people who are actually fighting for this galaxy. I do however take issue with your methods. You shoot first ask questions later. It's very messy and kills a lot of people who don't deserve to die. All these mercs today were not bad men. They were just being paid to guard this worm Harkin, and you shot them down." Shepard brought himself up to full height his face shadowing with rage.

She saw the swing before he even knew he was going to throw it. Ducking beneath it easily, she hit him hard square in the chest with her palm. He took a step back the breath knocked out of him before she dropped and spun kicking the back of his ankles. He fell with a grunt. Thane placed his hand on the Turian's chest shaking his head subtly. The Salarian lifted his hand getting ready to shoot an incineration at her. It flew out of his omni-tool which she dodged though she could feel the heat on the back of her shoulder. Without thinking, Ali smacked his forearm upwards moving under it hitting his chest hard with that shoulder. He stumbled back but did nothing more. "Interesting. Very extensive genetic modification on top of a number of psychological conditions. Would like to research if possible." Without looking down at Shepard, she laughed at the Salarian.

"There are a lot of people who would like that chance, Doctor Solus. If I decide to let any of them, you will be the first I tell." Feeling that Shepard had gotten his breath back and was back on his feet with some help from the Turian, she turned to him. His sternum would be bruised, but there was no permanent damage.

"Don't start a battle before you know what your opponent can do, Shepard. It could prove deadly. Lucky for you, I am not the person who is going to kill you," Ali murmured before holding her hand out to him. With a look of utter shock, he took it, and she pulled him to his feet. "Just stay away from my ops from now on, and we will get along. Good luck in your future endeavors." She turned to Baker nodding sharply at him.

"Listen, boss, about the Salarian's offer," he murmured into her ear.

"Yeah?"

"We've always wondered what they actually did to us in that place. You were the person that was enhanced the most. What if-"

"You want me to take him up on his offer?"

"It would mean a lot to all of us." She sighed running her hand through her hair before nodding at him pressing her lips into a thin line. He returned her nod picking Harkin up off the ground and forcing him out of the room. She looked at Thane with a small smile.

"Dr. Solus, where would you like me?" Ali asked regretting her words even as she said them. The excited look on the Salarian's face was enough to confirm her wariness.

"Would let me take samples?"

"Yes, if I get a copy of whatever you find, you can take everything you need."

"Absolutely, would like the start work immediately. Can meet back at Normandy if sanctioned by the Commander." She was about to say that there was no way in hell that Shepard would give him permission, but the man nodded dismissively. "Will send you an email once back on ship."

"Good, thanks, Dr. Solus. I'll see you then. Shepard, if you would like to have a guard escort me through your ship that would be understandable." She nodded again at Thane before heading back to her offices. Glancing back at Shepard, he knew this was going to be a question of loyalty either to the commander or to Ali. "Thane, I expect you to start up your old emailing habits. They may be a little rusty being as it has been such a long time, but I think it might be like riding a bike. Until the next time," she called over her shoulder. And just like that, she took the pressure off him, and he couldn't help but smile faintly at her back.

"Thane, how do you know that woman?"

"That's a rather long story, Shepard. And honestly, not one that is all mine to tell. Plus, I would like to spend the rest of shore leave with my son." There was a pause, and it seemed like the commander might refuse just to spite him.

"Of course. I will see you aboard the ship," he said surprising Thane.

"Until then, Shepard," he said with a bow.

* * *

"Ah, Miss Daniels, good to see you again," Dr. Solus announced coming around his lab table. He was smiling from ear to ear, and it made Ali's skin crawl. _What have you gotten yourself into this time, Ali._

"Yeah, my team wants to know everything they can about what the Facility did to us. And since I was the most enhanced, I have the full spectrum of what they did."

"Yes, have heard of Facility. Extensive genetic and psychological modification program. Have to admit, very excited to start working on conundrum." This made Ali even more nervous if that was even possible, but she swallowed it and tried to smile which probably looked more like a grimace.

"Just tell me where you want me, Dr. Solus."

"Wish to start with simple blood test then move to full body scan and more in depth testing."

"Sounds good."

"Sit here and we'll begin."

With the blood test out of the way, Mordin had her take off her shirt so he could take skin samples from her abdomen and back. If it had been any other male, she would have refused, but Salarians don't have the sex drive that other species did. "I heard that you used to work with SGT."

"Indeed. Reintegrated genophage into Krogan population after they started to adapt to disease."

"Really? That must have been interesting work."

"Yes, was very challenging. And during mission were discovered. Very dangerous. Very exciting."

"Is that how you got the scar and damaged your horn?"

"Correct. But will admit that those times best time of life."

"Then you think that the genophage is a good thing?"

"Yes, only choice at the time. Had to be done."

"And now? Would it still be an option now?" There was a long pause, and she winced as he pulled another chunk of skin off her back putting down the implement and picking up the last one on his desk. She inwardly breathed a sigh of relief, but she also had a feeling this was going to be one of the less painful procedures she would be experiencing that day.

"Don't know. Would have to be put in situation in present. Look at the possibilities and other variables. Lacking necessary data."

"Thane told me about what happened on Tuchanka with Maelon. Even with that knowledge does it not change your conclusion?" She hissed when he took his last sample, but when he walked away, she pulled on her shirt again following him to the desk and sitting down on the stool he made her sit on for the blood draw. He busied himself readying the samples and storing them properly before indicating the door. The entire time his eyes were darting back and forth like he was trying to decide his answer.

"Unsure."

"It's okay. I'm sorry that I pried. It's your life, your choices, your consequences. I shouldn't have asked."

"Not at all, Miss Daniels. Enjoy thinking about the variables. Good exercise."

"Dr. Chakwas, this is the young woman I was talking about. Miss Daniels, Dr. Chakwas," Mordin hurriedly introduced.

"Dr. Chakwas, it's an honor to meet you. I have read your record. It's very impressive."

"Thank you, Miss Daniels. I am under the impression that you are letting the good scientist experiment on you today?" the older woman said warmly holding out a hand to her. Ali couldn't help but chuckle.

"You would be correct, doctor."

"Well, now you are under my protection. I will not let him go overboard."

"Suggestion that I would do anything to damage Miss Daniels is shocking. Would never."

"Unintentionally, of course." Dr. Chakwas turned to Ali smiling at her. "If you could please remove your clothing. I believe we are going to do the full body scan first."

"Sure." With a push of a button, the med bay windows frosted over, and Ali immediately undressed fully and lay out on the medical table as Dr. Chakwas draped a thin clothe over her breasts and lower parts to protect her modesty.

"Okay, this should take about half an hour for how in depth Dr. Solus wishes it to be. Try not to move. Do you need anything? Is it too cold?"

"No, I'm fine, doctor. Thank you."

"Miss Daniels, you have quite a bit of scar tissue and almost all your bones show signs of remodeling," Dr. Chakwas murmured looking over the initial results from the scan.

"A life time of fighting will do that to a person. The Fac told us that they reinforced our bones, but they still broke just like anything else if you hit it hard enough," Ali replied.

"I had heard rumors of the underground organization called the Fac. If it helps, I can pull the information I have about it."

"Thank you, that would be much appreciated."

"You also have signs of plastic surgery." Ali smiled but held back her laugh.

"Yeah, who can resist a pretty girl? It makes infiltration that much easier."

"And-and you have injuries to your lower abdomen-your-"

"I was injured during a mission. They had to remove it. I would have died otherwise," Ali interrupted finding the old wound still stung a little.

"I'm terribly sorry. It must be hard to talk about."

"Indeed, it still is."

"Your body is very healthy though. You've kept up a good diet and exercise routine to keep the body healthy around the genetic modifications. Sometimes if you don't, your body can start eating you alive."

"What a happy thing to think about," Ali joked. Dr. Chakwas laughed and started reading through the scan results.

* * *

Several hours later, Ali stumbled down the hallway towards her apartment. She was tired and sore. And cursing that she didn't let one of the men who had offered to escort her home from the ship. Almost sighing in relief when she saw Gerry Stein leaning against the wall outside her place, she smiled tiredly at him. His eyes filled with concern as he wrapped an arm around her waist pushing the button for her door. "Ali, shit, are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm good. Just tired and sore."

"You know, everyone on the team appreciates what you did for us by letting the doctors have their way with you."

"How the hell do you make everything sound so dirty, Gerry?" He chuckled and rubbed her shoulder as he led her to her room.

"Lots and lots of practice." He helped her sit down on her bed. "Are you sure you're okay? You really don't look so good."

"Yeah, I'll be fine by tomorrow. Thanks for coming to check on me." Gerry nodded slowly then headed for the door. He stopped and turned around to look at her with an arrogant smirk on his face.

"Do you want some company or maybe someone help take your clothes off?"

"Go away!" she shouted throwing her shirt at him.

* * *

**Please Review**


	9. Chapter 9

It was their last night on the Citadel before heading to the Omega 4 Relay. Shepard had given shore leave to the entire crew-what was left of them- before going to rescue the rest of the crew from the Collectors. Thane spent a few hours with his son. They said their goodbyes, and when Kolyat offered to let him stay at his apartment since Gerry Stein would be out all night, Thane wanted to take him up on his offer but something held him back. He was drawn to _her_ apartment though he knew she might not want to see him. He entered the PIN to her door and stepped in without thinking to knock.

Ali turned around in her bra and a loose fitting pair of jeans. She had a bandage stained red with blood in one of her hands, and his eyes were immediately drawn to the new wound. There was a bullet hole right in the middle of the knife slash on her oblique. It looked like it was barely a day old. Around it was all bruised and mottled, but the wound was closed. The hand that wasn't holding the bandage was wrapped in a field bandage up to her elbow. Her other shoulder had a gauze patch held on with pieces of tape and that wrist was also wrapped. His blood was suddenly hot as he reacted instinctually to her injuries. "Ali-" he started.

"Have you ever heard of knocking, Thane?" she snapped throwing the bandage into a nearby trash bin and moving to pull on a thin sleeveless shirt.

"I apologize. I didn't even think about it." She sighed looking to regret her choice of words. She hadn't slept in three days, and she was easily angered especially when her injuries were still smarting slightly.

"Don't worry about it. What's up?" Leaning against a chair, Ali crossed her arms over her chest and smiled slightly at him though her eyes were tired.

"Are you all right? Your injuries-"

"Yeah, I'm good. Just was on the wrong end of a gun. Well and a few other things."

"Kolyat told me you had just come back from a mission with some of your team, but he didn't inform me of your injuries."

"It's fine. I will be right as rain in a day or so. It looks worse than it is. We were not trained to fix people up to make it look aesthetically pleasing. Just to get the job done."

"It looked pretty bad." She laughed throwing back her head brushing off his concern.

"Are you going to get to what you want, Thane, or do I have keep assuring you that I am fine?" she asked smiling merrily at him. His eyes tightened, but he knew he couldn't get her to admit how bad it had been.

"I don't know why I am here. It was like a moth to a flame, I suppose. The Normandy is going into the Omega 4 Relay. We are leaving in the morning. I have all ready made my peace with Kolyat. But something told me I wasn't done."

"I know. Kolyat sent me a ping telling me that I might be seeing you tonight. Of course, I wasn't expecting you to just walk in while I was half dressed." The corners of his lips quirked up and he looked at the floor.

"I apologize."

"Don't worry about it." Then his expression sobered and he started pacing the room. Her eyes followed him trying to figure out what he was thinking. _Inscrutable as ever, I see._ "Thane?"

"Ali, I-I have known I would die for many years. I have tried to leave the galaxy better than I found it. Shepard has helped me achieve more than I thought possible. We have righted many wrongs. I have spoken to my son. And I know many of those things have been because of you as well. Yet again, you have managed to wake me up without even trying. I am an empty shell without a Siha in my life. Few are lucky enough to have one. I have had two, one of which will not leave me even when I don't deserve her.

"I should be at peace on the eve of battle." She didn't know what to say. He looked so tormented to her.

"Thane, please-"

"I am ashamed." She took a step towards him and brushed her hand against his. His brow furrowed at the sympathetic touch, and he backed away from her turning to her desk which at the moment was strewn with datapads. His fist slammed against the table top hard enough to dent the metal slightly. She jumped at the sudden noise still having not shaken off the sounds of battle. He looked over his shoulder, and she could see tears in his eyes. She had never seen him like this: so emotional. "I have worked so hard. Meditated and prayed and done good deeds. Atoned for the evils I've done. Prepared. I consider my body's death and a chill settles in my gut. I'm afraid, and it shames me." He stopped and just took shuddering breaths trying to swallow back his emotions.

Ali still didn't know what to say. She knew in her heart that she wanted to reach out to him in an intimate way, but deep down she also knew it would hurt her more than if she didn't. Slowly, she stepped up to his side putting one arm around his shoulder and the other under his arm to rest her chin on her hand. "What can I do to help?" she breathed. His scent washed over her making her heart clench in pain, but it wasn't about her now. She had to put his needs first. Not her own. He glanced back at her and their eyes met for several long moments.

"Can I stay here tonight?" he asked quietly. One of her eyebrows quirked in a silent question which he answered without her voicing it. "Just to sleep."

"I will get some blankets for the couch." Before she could let him go, he grabbed her hand pinning it to his body.

"Not on the couch. Can I sleep with you in your bed?" She frowned and cocked her head shaking it slightly. "I swear. It's just to sleep." The way his voice seemed to be small and panicky wrenched at her heart, and she just couldn't refuse him.

"Okay, sure," she said slowly. His face showed relief, and he wordlessly followed her into the bedroom. "Just let me change real quick. I'll be back in a minute."

Moving into her closet and pulling out plain cotton pants and a gray t-shirt, Ali hurriedly changed keeping all her bandages in place because she just didn't want to deal with them at the moment. When she came out, she turned the humidity of the environment in her apartment way down and looked over to see Thane sitting shirtless on the edge of her bed. Before that moment, she had never seen him look so small and dejected. It broke her heart. He glanced up at her, and his eyes were sad, but they were alive with emotions. That gave her hope for the near future. Without a word, she laid down on the other side of the bed. Turning to her side, she watched as Thane did the same. He brushed his fingers up her arm careful not to press on her bandages too hard. "Thank you," he murmured before closing his eyes. Nodding to herself, she turned onto her other side and closed her eyes for much needed sleep.

* * *

Thane's dark eyes opened right before dawn. He looked up at the ceiling forgetting for a moment what was to come and languishing in the warm that was radiating through him. Glancing down at Ali, he remembered that he had spent the night with her. During the movements of sleep, she had moved up to lay beside him probably attracted by his warmth. Her head was resting on his chest, one of her arms splayed across his abdomen. Her long flaming red hair was fanned out behind her like a veil. She had always looked more beautiful in the semi darkness of pre-morning. It softened her. Made her look more innocent like she hadn't lived the life she had.

Moving slowly as not to wake her, Thane got out of bed sitting on the edge pulling on his vest and jacket. He glanced over his shoulder at her and felt himself smile faintly. Brushing the stray locks of hair from her face, he let his fingers trail through her hair before getting to his feet and preparing to leave. "Thane, can you please try to make it back alive," she murmured looking up at him. He turned to meet her aspen leaf colored eyes in the darkness of her room. "I know that before you didn't have much to live for. Irikah died, and Kolyat wasn't speaking to you. But now with everything that's happened. Your son still loves you. I see it every day I am with him. He is your purpose now. Those who love you will miss you if you die. Just try and remember that before performing any heroics." He stared at her for several long moments.

"I will do my best, Ali. Thank you for letting me spend the night here."

"Of course. Goodbye, Thane."

"Until we meet again," he said before breathing so quietly she couldn't hear him. "Siha."

* * *

**Siha, **

** I write this with a heavy hand, knowing you will read this letter when I am no longer able to share my thoughts. I am dying, Siha. Perhaps because of the differences between our species, I can hope that time will treat you with kindness and dim the hurt of my passing to faded recollections that a Drell would forever remember with perfect clarity. **

** Selfishly, however, I could not leave this world without leaving a piece of me behind that would never fade. **

** I once accepted my fate. Nothing remained but a shell destined to die. I only had to choose the when and how of my passing. I had refused to be confined to a bed, gasping horribly as my life beeped away to machinery I had no use for. I thought of my Irikah, broken, bloodied, and betrayed by my absence. Of Kolyat, small and afraid, bravely pushing at his eyes to stem the flows of tears I had entrusted to him to cry… for both our sakes.**

** The expectation to move swiftly to my end vanished upon uniting with Shepard's cause and seeing you again. Feeling your flaming love of life again. You awoke me, Ali. My heart quickened its sluggish beat if only to remain at your side and protect you with everything that I am. I was content to simply watch, take the time left given and praise all I know for allowing me to walk my final days with hope and certainty that I am worthy of more than my cold isolation, solely because you believed. **

** I love you. If all else whispers back into the tide, know this for fact. By grace given me by the Goddess Arashu, I bid her divine protection to you, my warrior-angel, my Siha, to succeed in your destiny. To light your path through the coming darkness. To give you hope, when all seems lost. **

** I will await you across the sea. **

** Thane **

Ali read that letter again and again when it arrived in her email that day when Shepard disappeared into the Omega 4 Relay. She couldn't help but pray every waking second that this was not the only thing that would remain of him. She found herself hoping that Shepard would make it back too because that would mean that Thane would come back to her. Kolyat joined her in her prayers, and she was glad that he was so concerned with the well being of his father. They sat for hours just holding hands comforting each other.

"Do you remember that day when you came for my mom's funeral?" Kolyat asked quietly breaking the silence.

"Yes, I do, sweetie. Of course I do. That was the day I met you." He smiled at her then his face sobered.

"You said that crying for the death of my mom made her memory sour. If my father dies, how am I supposed to handle both my parents dying before I am twenty-one?" Ali reached up and stroked his cheek bone giving him a sympathetic look.

"Kolyat, I want you to know that no matter what happens, I will always be here for you. I know that life hasn't been kind to you, but you can't focus on the bad. The good points in your life will not be as sweet if there is no bad."

"Ali, I'm afraid. I didn't ever think that I would even remotely like my father, but with your help, I believe that I figured it out. Finally." He chuckled, and she joined him without hesitation. "I know why he loves you."

"I don't know about that anymore, sweetie. It's been a while."

"Have you seen the way he looks at you? It's like you are the light in his galaxy. You're the only thing he sees when he's with you." She giggled nervously looking away from him. In fact, she had not really noticed the way he looked at her. Then again they hadn't really seen each other that much since Kahje. "What will happen when he comes back?"

"I don't know, Kolyat. It's not going to be easy."

"Loving someone should be easy."

"Yes, it should," she relented. "But it's not always." His shoulders slumped, and she chuckled rubbing his shoulder in comfort.

"Listen, Kolyat, do you want to hear something that might take your mind off your dad if only for a few minutes?" she asked several hours later with a tea mug in both her hands. Ali handed one to him which he took murmuring a quick thank you.

"Yes, I think I would appreciate that, Ali." She smiled lovingly at him not being able to help herself.

"I haven't even told Thane this, so do you promise to keep it a secret?"

"Of course."

"I can't have children," she announced quietly without preamble. His tea mug was frozen half way to his mouth as he just stared at her his eyes side in shock. _Well at least that shocked him out of thinking about his dad. Half a point to me._ "And I don't tell you this just to get some attention." Slowly he lowered his tea to his lap then decided to place it on her coffee table where it sat steaming. "Kolyat, you're like a son to me. That first day I met you, you awed and inspired me. I know I didn't really know you until you were ten and that was just not a great time for you with Irikah passing and Thane leaving, but I fell in love with you during that tough period in your life."

"Ali, I-I don't know what to say." She smiled at him.

"You don't have to say anything."

"Why can't you have any kids?" His gaze darkened. "Was it something the Facility did to you?"

"Indirectly, yes, it was. I was on a job, and a grenade- one of the dirty ones with all the shrapnel stuffed in it- hit the ground near my cover. My entire lower body was just ruined. I almost died, and the Fac had to remove some things from down there. Do you know much about human anatomy? The uterus is where females carry their eggs and the baby when she is pregnant. Anyways, they had to remove it because it was totally wrecked."

"Ali, I'm sorry."

"No, don't be, sweetie. I have you. I am more than happy with that." He just stared at her with his dark eyes seemingly speechless then wrapped her in a hug. He held her for a long time as tears filled her eyes at his show of affection and the tiny bit of pain that remained when she thought about not having kids of her own. "I love you, Kolyat."

"I love you too, Ali. Maybe we are attached by the red thread of fate. It's a good thing to believe-that we'll always be attached and bound together. I like knowing that no matter how bad it gets, you'll always be here for me."

"Always and forever, sweetie."

* * *

There was no word, but Ali heard through her information channels and mainly the Shadow Broker that the Normandy was back at the Citadel though it was in bad shape. They made their way down to the docking bays. She pushed her way through the crew shoving aside a perfect, young Krogan, the aging Dr. Solus who nodded at her, and an Asari Justicar. She turned to the woman and respectfully bowed to her. The Justicar smiled faintly and bowed her head slightly. The Turian respectfully clasped arms with her silently thanking her for the help with his revenge plot which he didn't go through with anyways, but she appreciated the gesture. When she pushed her way past a heavily tattooed woman, the woman whirled on her spitting profanities and glowing blue with biotic energy. She ignored the woman pushing past the next few people. Wading through the rest of the crew, she finally saw the vibrant green scales.

Kolyat let go of her hand and sprinted forward going through spaces between people she didn't think she could even manage. He launched himself into his father's arms in a monster hug, and Ali found herself grinning at the young man's exuberant show of affection that she thought she would never see. _I am so happy that he found that he could love his father again. Thank you, Irikah. I know you had something to do with this._ Thane returned his son's hug if a little less bone crushing. Opening his eyes, he spotted Ali and smiled at her. His dark eyes were alive with that flame of life that she had been missing so much. The way he looked at her made her insides quiver, and a flush crawled up her neck. _Why the hell can't I ever stay mad at him? I should be furious, and I am. But when he looks at me like that. It's just like nothing else even matters. Damnit._

She nodded trying to suppress her own grin. Kolyat finally released his father and clasped his shoulder. "Father, I am so glad that you are here," he said with a genuine smile.

"I am as well, Kolyat. What has Ali done with you? You weren't this emotional when we left the Citadel for the Relay."

"I didn't do anything to your son. He was worried about you. We sat together until we heard that the Normandy was back," Ali said joining the group. "Was an email too much to ask for?"

"I apologize. I didn't know you two would be so worried about me. It's a feeling I will have to accustom myself with again."

"Yeah, you might want to do that," she retorted. He wrapped his arms around her putting one of his hands in her silky hair and inhaled her scent. She smelled like vanilla and cinnamon bringing back memories. When he released her, Ali glanced over her shoulder at the other crew members. She didn't like being in large crowds. It was one of those things that she learned was a bad thing when she was in charge of an elite team that made it their job to take out criminals. It led to assassination attempts. She met Thane's eyes, and he immediately knew what she was thinking. He searched the upper levels around them.

"Maybe we should take this somewhere else," he murmured. "I will just let Shepard know that I am heading out."

* * *

**Author's Note: Sorry for the late chapter. This week has been rather hectic. But since this chapter is so short I am contemplating posting one tomorrow as well as on Friday like normal. Anyways, hope you are enjoying the story so far. Thanks all for reading.**


	10. Chapter 10

Ali walked through a colony that was in flames. Gerry walked alongside her with a look of horror on his face that probably mirrored hers. There were bodies all over the ground. Five hundred dead. Either gunned down or caught in the flames. She felt like she was going to be sick, and by the green tinge on the edges of Gerry's face, he was as well. The dossier from the Council didn't mention anything about this. "Oh God," Gerry mumbled before doubling over and vomiting in the grass. She stroked his back calmingly looking around. "This-this is just-" he managed before vomiting again.

"I know. You okay?"

"Yeah, just give me a minute. Will you?" She nodded and kept walking down the main walkway stepping over bodies.

"Boss," Matt called. Ali let it slide just this once.

"What's up?" she asked.

"If the Council had given us the intel we needed a few days ago, we could have cleaned house with this batarian merc band. They are pissed that this Commander Shepard is not in chains over their destroyed system. They're taking it out on us humans, bastards. Did you know there is another colony just like this? A little smaller."

"But still innocent dead humans. Fuck. I should have pushed them more for the information. I was pussy footing it around them since Shepard." Rage filled her in one rush, and the battle mode came like a fog out of its corner spreading into her limbs. Her fists tightened almost of their own volition. _Keep it together, Alisa. You can't do this here. You can't do this anywhere._ With a deep breath, she forced the overwhelming feeling back into its corner trying to keep it there. "We need to take care of this fast. For their sakes."

Feeling Gerry come up beside her, Ali easily slipped into leader mode. _Can't let myself seem weak around them. They need someone to direct them. And I'm all they have._ "Okay, eight man team. I want two biotics, one tech, and the rest are to be soldiers. Let Danny know what I want and that he gets it done in a timely manner. I want Matt to be the lead."

"Yes, ma'am, I will bring them in now to meet up with the ship," Matt said before walking away without another word.

"Gerry, I need to get out of here. I can't-"

"Okay, Al, let's go. Come on. I got you." He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and walked her back to the small two-person ship they had travelled in. He made sure not to let anyone see them as they made their way through the sea of bodies.

Every new face frozen in horror that swam into view made the battle mode that much harder to fight back. When they got back to the shelter of the ship where the crew couldn't see them, she was out of breath and swaying on her feet. He grabbed her face in his hands looking into her eyes. "Ali? Hey, listen to me," he said softly. Her grip tightened on his wrist making his eyes waver in pain ever so slightly. "Do I need to do it?" Everything was fading in and out. Like a black curtain was trying to drop over her eyes.

"Please, just do it. Now, please," she managed.

"Hutsaren," he whispered. Almost immediately her eyes went dead, and she stood up straight looking right into his eyes.

"Orders?"

"Get in the ship and co-pilot back to the Citadel. Anything further will follow when we get there," he ordered looking regretful.

"Of course, sir. Do you wish to leave now?"

"After you." She nodded and walked into the ship systematically starting to set her station up without looking up at him.

"I'm sorry, Ali," he muttered following suit.

* * *

When they docked with the Citadel leaving the ship with the dock hands, Ali turned to Gerry and waited. "Anything further, sir?"

"Kehidupan," he said. Her eyes cleared, and she swayed ever so slightly before he steadied her. "Are you all right, Ali?" She looked around placing where she was in the galaxy.

"Yeah, I think so. Thank you."

"Hey, no problem. I am your friend. I seem to be lucky that you shared your triggers with me. Are you sure you're okay? You haven't been yourself since the start of this job."

"Don't worry about me, Ger. Thanks again. I am going to go back to my apartment if you need me."

"Uh, sure, yeah, but Ali, I am always going to be here for you if you need me." Without another word, she walked away getting into the elevator and heading back to her apartment block.

Staring after Ali's retreating form, Gerry typed a number into his omni-tool bringing up the face of a man he didn't exactly like, but he had to admit that he needed the man. "Hey, um, listen I really don't want to be doing this; but I think you need to get to Ali's apartment. She's been in a bad way for a few weeks now. I just had to trigger her to keep her under control. I know that I can handle her physically if need be, but she has more of an emotional connection with you. Can you just make sure she's all right for me?" There was a pause.

"Of course," Thane answered. "I will head over there now. My thanks, Mr. Stein." With a sigh, Gerry got into a nearby hovercar and started back towards their offices where he would handle the day's business and the building of her team.

Ali opened the door to her apartment and started pacing the room. Her blood was still on fire, and she just couldn't rein it in. Stepping into her shower still fully dressed in a sleeveless white shirt and black leather pants, she turned it on cold hissing when the water hit her skin. Trying to purge everything with the shock of the cold water, she was shivering in no time concentrating on the sensation of that feeling alone. "Please, no, not now," she kept murmuring like a mantra through chattering teeth. She pressed her head against the tile and slowly slid to her knees.

Thane walked in the door typing in his PIN and smelled the air. It was damp which was strange because she purposefully kept the room arid for him and his son. Ali was definitely in the apartment, and by the smell of it, she was terrified. It was almost overpowering, and he felt his muscles clench in response. It was one of his instincts: wanting to protect her. He spotted a leather jacket on the back of a chair but no other clothes were anywhere. Without thinking, he went into the bathroom immediately feeling the effect on his lungs. It was like he couldn't get a breath. He was used to the shortness of breath now, but he felt like gasping with every intake of air now. It was freezing in the room, and Ali was kneeling with her forehead against the wall under the stream of cold water. Her body was convulsing with tremors that she could no longer control, and it immediately made his eyes dilate in fear.

Entering the shower though his body protested with every step, every breath, Thane grabbed her around the waist lifting her body into his arms even as she thrashed blindly against him. He tightened his grasp wincing in pain as he walked out of the room. He stumbled, and they both went down which caused him to have to pin her under his body. "Siha, calm yourself," Thane managed through clenched teeth.

"No, you didn't see them, Krios. Those poor people were murdered in cold blood, and it's my fault."

"No, it isn't. It has never been your fault. People dying because of other people's choices is not your fault. You cannot keep carrying this guilt around with you. Please, settle down." Slowly, Ali stopped struggling, but Thane kept himself in place trying to catch his breath.

"Thane, I need help."

"I know. I'm here, Siha." He coughed painfully and got to a seated position. Regret instantly filled her stinging more than the cold water dripping down her spine.

"Fuck, I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking." His chuckle was lost in the storm of coughs.

"There is no need. I walked into the situation." She quickly got to her feet turning off the shower and turning the humidity in the room even lower. Sitting down behind him, she wrapped her arms around him pressing her hands against his chest and pulling him back forcing him to sit up straighter, opening up his chest.

"Try and breathe slowly. Don't force it," she murmured into his back.

"You've been watching the doctors."

"And don't talk."

* * *

After his attack had somewhat lessened, Ali made tea for them both. "It's funny how something as simple as a cup of tea can make life seem a little better," Thane murmured smiling slightly down at his cup.

"You weren't at that colony today." His eyes travelled up to her face which was haunted and vacant as she seemed lost in thought.

"You shouldn't dwell on these things. Mr. Stein told me about what happened. He said that he had to trigger you."

"Yeah, I was going to go nuclear if he hadn't. I can't remember anything after that until I got back to the Citadel."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Thane asked.

"I know we had the guilt conversation, but you're in no condition to keep me under control. So let's not. If I start talking about it, I can't- The guilt is what keeps me going. If I don't protect these people, who else will?" she said drifting off as the pain of the guilt hit her in a wave.

"The guilt is also eating you alive. You don't have to live with it, Ali. Trust me."

"You may be able to shut off human emotions, Thane, but I am not like you. I have to feel it otherwise I am no better than the people who do these atrocious acts," Ali yelled at him. Thane's eyes hardened ever so slightly.

"It isn't like that, and you know it, Alisa," he murmured lowly. With a sigh, he ran a hand over his head shuffling his feet uncomfortably. "I promised that I would help you. I don't plan on backing out."

"Thane-" she whined throwing herself down in one of her kitchen chairs. "I don't want to hurt you. Just what I did a few minutes ago made you have an attack, and that was barely anything compared to what I can do." His eyes darkened.

"I can handle it." She shook her head feeling her stomach drop with anxiety for his safety.

"I don't know what I'll do. I could get violent. I could break down. I could work out stress in another way." She looked down not able to continue. He caught on easily enough and looked away to hide his small smile.

"I will do anything for you, Ali." She closed her eyes looking away.

"Thane-" she started.

"No, trust me. Just do what you need to do. I am here for you. Always, Siha." Ali's gaze snapped up to meet his, and he was again amazed by the way she met his eyes so intently.

Keeping her eyes pinned to his, Ali slowly allowed the grief and anger consume her. It was like it all hit her at once, but there was a certain peace that came from it. All the faces of all the people she had ever killed flashed before her eyes, and the guilt was almost crippling. But rationale told her it wasn't her fault. The Fac had forced her to do it. It was like what Thane had said long ago. She was their weapon, and her mind hadn't consciously killed them. It didn't seem to matter that much anymore.

Next was the faces of everyone she had failed to protect. The frozen, agonized faces of the people in the colony, their charred flesh, the way they seemed to be groping the air asking for mercy that would never come. That number was more, and it took more time for them to all run through her mind. Her brow furrowed, and Ali felt her fists tighten until her nails dug into her palms. The anger inside of her was so great that it was hard to believe there was that much even in the galaxy. It was her fault those people had come to any harm. If she had acted faster or pushed harder, they would not have died.

Thane caught the sharp, metallic scent of blood in the air and looked down at her hands. Getting to his feet, he kneeled in front of her taking her hands in his and forcing her to open them. "Siha, are you all right?" he asked quietly. Ali slowly met his dark gaze and noticed there were tears in her eyes.

"I wasn't fast enough. They died because I couldn't protect them," she murmured. His eyes tightened, and he gently wiped away a stray tear with the pad of his thumb.

"No, Ali, you couldn't have done anything differently. Shepard's destroying that relay has caused more problems with the Batarians, and the Council is moving slower."

"But what about all the other times? I never take action before getting an assignment by a government, the Council, or even the Alliance on occasion. People can get hurt even when I am involved."

"Yes, but you fight to prevent others from being injured or killed. Siha, it doesn't help to grieve for those you cannot save. What counts is that you protect the future."

"Thane-"

"No, no arguing. You have protected so many lives, siha. You have to learn that there was nothing you could do to help them. The only thing that matters is what you do next. That's what counts." Ali sighed.

"Why do you have to make so much sense all the time? You make me feel like I am so kind of emotional wreck."

"I'm here to balance you out, Ali."

* * *

Ali's omni-tool pinged with an incoming call. She groaned and opened the call seeing Stein's face. "Hey, boss, I figured you would want to approve the team personally." She sighed again and rolled her eyes at the name.

"Quit calling me that."

"Okay, sweetheart, whatever. Do you want it or not? Hey, Thane, did you take care of her? Do I need to worry about an implosion?"

"Thanks, Gerry, I'm right here. And no, you don't. I'll be at the office in ten minutes. Make sure Kolyat is released though."

"Yes, sweetie," he said before clicking off.

"Jackass," Ali mumbled before getting up from the chair. Before she could go any farther, Thane grabbed her hand.

"Hold on a moment, Siha."

Thane brushed the backs of his fingers across her cheek, and her eyes fluttered closed as she leaned into his touch. "I know this isn't fair, but I can't resist the urge anymore," he murmured before kissing her. Burying one of his hands into her curly orange hair, he pulled her closer before thrusting his tongue into her mouth. She moaned letting herself feel this one moment fully. Blood was roaring in her ears heating up her body. When he pulled away, they were both gasping for breath, but his sounded more pained. "I'm sorry."

"You're right. This isn't fair. You get to spend the rest of your life with those you love. But Kolyat and I don't get the same." His eyes tightened. "I have to go. We just need to forget that this happened, okay?" Though the words seemed to pain him, he told her what she wanted to hear.

"Of course, Ali. As you wish."

* * *

**Author's Note: I know this one was super short, but it makes the last two chapters equal to a longish one. Anyways, hope you enjoy. I really appreciate everyone who has favorited/alerted this story. Thanks all who are reading!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note: Now we are out of "in between land." This is the first chapter of the second part that takes place during the ME3 story line. Hope you are still enjoying the story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please Review and thank you for reading**

* * *

Now that Thane was back on the Citadel to live out the rest of his short life, Ali visited him at his apartment then later at the hospital almost every day. They argued about his future many times. He was ready to face his death whereas she wanted him to keep fighting. It was when Shepard came to visit his friend Ashley at Huerta Hospital that she came up with an idea. Maybe if they were with Shepard, she could somehow ask him to take them to a planet where a group of Hanar scientists were in the final stages of creating a promising cure. She had gotten the status report a few days before from one of her contacts along with what her man thought was a booster that the Hanar had given him. She had thought nothing of it. All it could do was to provide him enough strength to give him a few more "normal" months before the disease continued where it left off. Ali also didn't trust the sudden arrival of this cure. How come she had never heard of it until a few months ago? Surely they must have been working on it for years. And why were the Hanar and Salarians keeping it quiet? This cure would give hope to an entire species where as they all just accepted that they might die of it. While she didn't want to force Thane into anything, she was seriously tempted to knock him out and join the Normandy crew hoping he wouldn't regain consciousness until they were too far away to turn back. Of course then he might never speak to her again, but was it worth his hating her if he lived? To that she didn't know the answer.

Then Cerberus had to attack the Citadel. It wasn't that she hadn't expected it at some point. It was simply a very large inconvenience. Ali had her entire team all over the station holding key points, working alongside C-SEC. She was busy trying to find Thane. Leave it to him to not be able to stay at the hospital or his apartment where he would be safe. According to Shepard's comm which she had hacked into by some stroke of luck, he was on his way to C-SEC headquarters. Then after that was a bust, he was going after the Salarian Councilor. "Has anyone seen the Councilor or the Executor anywhere?" she asked into her comm.

"Boss, the executor is all ready dead. But I saw the Councilor in a conference room not far from his office. He was cloaked under the table. Sending you the location now." She glanced down at her omni tool and tore off in that direction deciding to ignore that he had called her boss. She could hear Shepard talking to Bailey over the comm when he located the counselor then the crash of glass that came from ahead of her. That was when she saw him.

Thane was running up the stairs a pistol on his hip. He looked like the man she remembered from so long ago before he lost his wife. So intent on his mission without even caring that he was gasping for breath. Ali almost couldn't stop herself from calling out, but she didn't want to alert any hidden Cerberus agents to his presence. Knowing that he would not appreciate her jumping into his fight if he didn't need her help, she went the only way that presented itself: up.

The fight that ensued was almost impossible to watch. Her muscles were straining to join and protect him leaving her trembling with pent up energy. Then she glanced at Shepard. He was just standing there watching Thane fight for him. She wanted to shout at him, to tell him to do something. She looked back at Thane smiling to herself when she saw that he was holding his own even when his lungs were barely working. Then they charged at each other, and she knew his arm span wasn't long enough to beat the sword. She heard herself scream not even realizing she was as she dropped from her perch. Shepard's bullets glanced off her shields as she fell on the assassin grabbing his shoulders and using her downward momentum to throw him away from Thane who was on the floor in a growing puddle of his own dark blood.

Ali shut him out though it proved harder than she thought it would be. Her body moved around the assassin's blade like water, and she had to give him credit for recovering fast from her unexpected entrance. His eyes registered surprise for a split before reining in his facial expressions to one of pure rage. "You will pay for that, you son of a bitch. I will make sure of it personally," she growled. His eyes narrowed, and his sword swung in a perfect practiced arc. She blocked using the newly added blade from halfway up her forearm to just about an inch past her elbow making a slight hook which she could stab with. He stopped short and thrust, but she was one step ahead of him in her sense heightened state and captured his blade between her gloved palms. He kept pushing hoping to overpower her for what seemed like minutes when it was actually only a split second before he yanked it away and jumped over the low wall and onto the steps. Shepard gave chase without so much of a glance back at them. "Get me medical assistance here now," she spat into her comm. There were many answering affirmatives which she ignored.

When Ali turned around, Thane was up and moving towards the stairs leaving a trail of blood behind him. "No, Thane," she said wrapping her arms around his waist from behind. "You need to keep still." He pulled weakly against her then fell against the table before hitting the ground. She was able to keep him from getting hurt, but that meant taking most of the fall on herself. They both landed with a pained grunt.

"Ali, you shouldn't have interfered," he breathed looking up at her. She had his head on her shoulder, and the rest of him was splayed across her body.

"I couldn't have watched you die. You know that, Thane." He coughed weakly turning his face away from her. "I am not letting you die."

"I'm afraid I've picked a bad time to leave."

"No, Thane, you're not going anywhere. I won't let you," she murmured defiantly trying to hold back a choking sob. "Please, don't leave me." He coughed wetly and painfully turning his head away from her again. He gasped for breath, and she pressed her forehead to his.

"Such beautiful things from your lips." She choked on her sob, it coming out as a strangled gulp before putting her face into his neck.

"Where is the medical team?" she bit out.

"They're on the way to you. ETA about two minutes, boss. They needed to wait until Shepard stopped firing near where you are," Nat answered.

"Hold on, Thane. Medical is on the way." He smiled up at her faintly then his eyes closed very slowly. Ali's eyes widened. "No, no, please, Thane. Don't leave me," she whispered cradling his head against her. Inspiration struck at that moment, and she took the temporary cure syringe out of her pocket. Sending a silent prayer up to all her species' gods and all the Drell gods hoping they would take pity on their dark warrior, she injected it into his neck. "Come back to me, Thane. I'm not ready for you to leave me. I never want you to leave me. Please, Kalahira, he is not yours to take. He is mine, and I will protect him from you. Arashu protect him, keep him with me. Amonkira, you still have a lot of prey to be hunted. Do you want your hunter to fall? I need him." She continued muttering things like this until she was gently pushed out of the way by the medical technicians who immediately took stock of Thane's conditions.

Looking down at herself, she was appalled to find blood covering almost every inch of her front. She started to tremble. "Are you seeing this?" one of the paramedics asked under his breath.

"What? What's wrong?" she asked in a voice that was way too high to be her own.

"His pulse is actually getting stronger, and his blood oxygen level is rising as well. We need to find a blood donor though otherwise he will bleed out," he said not looking at her. She blinked. The cure actually worked. She was shocked.

"I will call his son and ask him to meet us at the hospital."

Ali followed the floating stretcher into Huerta Hospital, but they would not let her past the door to the operating room. She was tempted to force her way in: her anger and sadness swelling when she heard a familiar voice behind her. "Ali, what's happened?" Kolyat asked as he walked up to her. His eyes were worried, and they widened when he saw she was covered in blood. "Are you all right? Were you injured as well?" She swallowed thickly and unable to hold the wave of despair that flowed over her, she hugged the young man. She cried into his chest as he held her to him whispering soothing words into her ear.

"I-I should have helped him sooner. But he just shocked me with how well he was doing in his condition. I just forgot how sick he was. I'm such an idiot," she sobbed brokenly. "Oh, Kolyat, if he dies, it will be my fault."

"Ali, don't say that. It won't be your fault. He would not have gotten medical attention so quickly if it hadn't been for you." She choked then started coughing wetly into his shoulder.

Kolyat cradled her head against him putting his hand in her hair. He understood why his father was so attracted by it and her scent. Ali was a very special person to both of them, and seeing her like this was like a knife to the heart. "I'm sorry. Here I am crying when it is _your_ father in the hospital," she tried to laugh but it came out as a broken sob.

"You've known him a lot longer than I, Ali. You're his Siha."

"Kolyat," she whispered tightening her arms around him.

"Do you know anything?"

"No," she snapped angrily pinning her eyes on one of the doctors scurrying past. "They won't tell me anything."

"Maybe they will for me. Are you all right? I'll only be gone a moment." She scrubbed at her face knowing she probably looked blotchy and wet.

"I'm fine. Go," she ordered jerking her head at another doctor. "And Kolyat, thanks." He smiled at her and nodded before heading towards the front desk.

* * *

Hours later, Thane opened his eyes for the first time since he lost consciousness. Ali was up before she could stop herself. His dark eyes found hers and held them for several long seconds before he glanced at his son Kolyat who had been with her since he had arrived at the hospital. He looked back at Ali in slight confusion. "How are you feeling, father?" Kolyat asked before Ali could find her voice which was somewhere in the pit of her stomach.

"Better than I should." The confusion was still there, and his brow ridges furrowed. "Ali, what did you do?" She swallowed nervously not wanting him to be angry with her.

"She saved your life. What difference does it make?" She would smile every time she looked back at that moment. Kolyat to the rescue. Shock flickered in Thane's eyes.

"I suppose you are right."

Slowly Thane sat up against the protests of both Kolyat and Ali. "I feel fine, my son. Better than I have felt since before I met Shepard." He glanced at her with a promise that he would interview her later.

"Just don't reopen the wound, Thane. Kolyat gave a lot of blood to make sure you survived," she muttered dreading the questioning. Thane rarely got angry, but his calm was almost more unnerving than anger.

"And for that, he has my eternal gratitude." A rare smile touched his lips which his son returned without pause. "Will you please leave me with Ali? We have much to discuss." Kolyat hesitated glancing at her wanting reassurance from her, and she nodded. Before passing her on his way out of the room, Kolyat bent down to whisper in her ear.

"Don't let him bully you. Ali, you have my thanks for what you did. Thank you." He smiled lovingly at her before pecking her cheek and leaving.

"I'm sorry," she said under her breath not daring to look him in the eye after his son left.

"I was prepared to die."

"I know. I just couldn't let it happen." She chanced a glance through her eyelashes to be met with his bemused smile. Thane nodded, and she realized what he was hinting at. "You heard me?"

"Indeed." A flush colored her cheeks before she looked down at her shoes. All at once, he had his arms around her and pulled her against his chest. She could feel the bandages against her cheek, and unable to stop herself, she put her hands against them to tell herself that he was actually there alive with her. "You have nothing to apologize for, Ali." His words grounded her again, and she felt the emotional pain blossom in her chest. He loosened his grip, so he could look at her face. "I am curious though. How did you do it?" She distanced herself from him and leaned against the wall.

"I started looking into research for the cure when you came here after Shepard was arrested. About a month ago, one of my contacts came across a highly classified research project by Hanar and Salarian scientists. They are close to what they believe is going to be a cure for Kepral's Syndrome. It hasn't been tested on Drell subjects yet, but the last I heard, they synthesized the cure. My guy managed to get a temporary 'cure' for Kepral's that basically retards the disease giving a false retreat of symptoms for a few months before it comes back and continues its progress," she paused glancing up at him. "And that's the limits of my understanding. The Hanar who are working on it would be able to explain it better and in more detail."

"And you want me to join Shepard with the condition that he brings me to these scientists to be cured. You do understand that a war for the galaxy is going on, correct?" He knew her too well, and she felt the blush creep up her neck subtly.

"Of course I do, Thane. He needs you. Shepard has to see that."

"I am hardly the lynchpin of his team, Ali." She glowered crossing her arms getting ready for the fight she knew was coming, but she was interrupted when the door opened. Speak of the devil.

"Thane, I am glad to see you up and about. That injury looked serious," he said in his usual emotionless monotone. This caused Ali's mood to sour even more. It wasn't that she didn't like the commander. They had never seen eye to eye though.

"I have Ali to thank for that." The commander looked over at her in surprise like he hadn't seen her when he entered and held out his hand in greeting. She took it just to seem agreeable.

"Commander," she said shortly.

"Good to see you again, Miss Daniels. Thane mentioned that you were still here. How is your team?"

"They're doing fine. We're working with C-SEC and the Council now to bring some semblance of order back to the Citadel."

"That's good to hear. I can honestly tell you that I am impressed with you team and your resources. They almost rival the Shadow Broker herself."

"I wouldn't go that far. Dr. T'Soni and I made a deal a while ago when I discovered she had taken over the position. She gives me the information I need free of charge when it involves one of the causes she supports. Plus, we have most of the same contacts. She's very good at her job." Shepard looked shocked at the knowledge that she knew who the Shadow Broker was.

"How did you find out?" She shrugged opting for silence over telling him more of her ways. He shook his head taking a second to absorb the information, then he turned to the Drell.

"Thane, are you sure you can't come with me? I have a hard time believing you are not up to at least a bit of your old ardor after surviving a fight like that." Thane glanced at Ali who bit her lip and looked away.

"Actually there has been a new development in my situation. I would like to join you. But to keep me with you until the end, I will need a favor."

"Name it, and I will see what I can do?"

"There is a research facility that holds a promising cure to Kepral's. I would like to make sure the research gets put to good use for my people. I don't want them to be unprotected in the event that the planet is attacked by the Reapers. I would rather have them on a ship maybe where you are building the Crucible. I believe they would be willing to help in building it also." Shepard thought for several seconds.

"Any effort against the Reapers is worth looking into," he said. "I suppose we could make this happen, Thane."

"It is much appreciated." Ali couldn't contain her face splitting grin, and she barely stopped herself from jumping up and down applauding like a school girl. "I would also like, Ms. Daniels to join your crew." This caused her to pause. He had his hands folded at the small of his back, and he was staring at her waiting for her reaction, with a ghost of a knowing smile on his lips.

"I saw how she fought with that assassin. It was very impressive. I was actually going to ask her before I left."

Ali looked around the room trying to weigh her options. "As long as my team including some of my contacts on the Citadel get transport to this Crucible. I don't want them here. I remember the fight for the Citadel. It seems this place is almost always the center of these conflicts with the Reapers."

"I can arrange that."

"Then I will be free to come with you as well." Shepard nodded to them both.

"We are docked in D-24. Tomorrow at noon is when we are supposed to be moving on. Welcome back, Thane. And welcome, Ms. Daniels." They both nodded in turn, and the commander left the room without any further pleasantries.

"He has the personality of a stone," Ali muttered.

"Shepard more than makes up for it in battle."

"Mmhmm, right, Sere Krios. I will see you tomorrow. I have to prep my team and your son to move out." He gave her a wary look. "You didn't know that your son is an honorary member?" He shook his head. "Ah, well, I promised I wouldn't mention it until he told you, but that was months ago. Just act surprised when he decides to inform you, okay?" He nodded. "Good, he would kill me for telling you." This caused him to smile subtly.

* * *

The Normandy was truly a beautiful ship both aesthetically and mechanically. Chief Engineer Adams was a very helpful man, and he knew his ship very well. Ali was in awe of everything she saw. From what she could tell, the Alliance had taken away some of the beauty with the heavy weapons ammo canisters and random crates all over the place. What surprised her most was the sheer number of different species on his ship. Shepard was lovers with an Asari who was also the Shadow Broker which she knew all ready. She had greeted Dr. T'Soni warmly, and they had talked at length about many different things and how her contacts were faring. She complained that the Reaper invasion was slowing down the usual information intake that she was used to leaving her with more downtime than she had expected. They agreed to continue talking later.

Garrus Vakarian, who she had met on the Citadel a while ago, was his same old self: a gruff C-SEC officer who had gone vigilante on Omega when Shepard had died. He was shocked to discover that one of his men had been one of hers which she had planted there to keep an eye on his headway against the gangs on Omega. They exchanged a few war stories though Garrus had a lot of flare in his added by the suicide mission with Shepard. He beat her in intensity, but she had him with the sheer number of stories she had collected over the years including her time at the Fac. They agreed to continue their competition until one them ran out of stories to tell. Ali admitted that she looked forward to the lessons she could learn from the Turian.

Then there was the Spectre human named Ashley Williams who joined the crew after the attack on the Citadel. Ali had seen her a few times at the hospital and had even been present during her Spectre induction ceremony. The woman seemed very interesting plus she liked old literature which Ali couldn't ignore. They had in depth critiques of the old poets and author in the lounge over drinks on more than one occasion. The behemoth, James Vega, was quite the flirt but had a heart of gold. She took an instant liking to him. The pilot, Jeff "Joker" Moreau, was an interesting guy who she enjoyed talking to. It took her mind off of impending doom. The ship AI EDI was a conundrum. In the future, she would often ask Ali questions about human behavior, in particular Joker, when Shepard refused to answer the more awkward ones. Plus there were some girl questions which Shepard couldn't answer anyways because he wasn't one. There was also the shuttle pilot, Steve Cortez, who stayed in the shuttle bay all the time. She sensed that there was a great sadness in the man, but she wouldn't intrude on his privacy unless he opened himself up.

After going through the ship a number of times, Ali settled for the shuttle bay. She enjoyed looking out the windows of any ship into space, and after removing a few metal sheets from the window, she could see out into the abyss. It reminded her how small her problems were and served in grounding her. Vega and Cortez were there as well, but she found the empty sounds of them working calming in a way. She unrolled her bedroll and laid out on her back. There were a bunch of wide support beams above the floor of the bay, and honestly she was more comfortable high up unless she had some reason to not be like if someone was in her bed.

"We don't bite down here, you know," Vega called from where he was cleaning rifles.

"I prefer heights," she said without opening her eyes. Vega was loud and abrasive which made her smile to herself. Cortez was silently working on the shuttle like he was somewhere else, possibly _with_ someone else.

"You're some kind of jungle cat then?" She laughed and rolled over to look down at him. "Did you hear that Esteban? She likes to be above her prey when she goes in for the kill." Ali rolled over farther grabbing the edge of the beam and falling lightly to the floor. Vega looked up at her then the beam with a slight smile in his eyes. "You might not want to do that very many times. You'll kill your knees."

"Genetic modification takes care of all that, Lieutenant."

"So you're like a super human cat." She laughed but nodded modestly. "I am very tempted to call you Pan."

"Pan?" she asked quizzically. He nodded to himself seeming to confirm his line of thought.

"Panther, you don't have to call me by my rank. James is perfectly acceptable." She smiled suspiciously.

"I sure hope that doesn't catch on with the rest of the crew, James." He responded with his own smile before going back to his work. She heard the almost imperceptible hiss of the ship being released from the docks of the Citadel and the drive car starting.

"Looks like we're under way." He looked up momentarily giving her a grin.

* * *

Ali went up to the crew deck when she found she couldn't keep still. Thane had taken up his old spot in Life Support, and she found him meditating. "Thane?"

"Do you need something?" he asked not turning around.

"How are you feeling?"

"Very well. Whatever it was you gave me is working. Even Dr. Chakwas was flabbergasted that I feel so well for being in the final phase of Kepral's." She felt a smile flit across her lips, but it was gone before she could try and paste it into place. Why was everything so awkward around him? They were always so compatible even after she made him leave and during his marriage to Irikah. Why wasn't it the same? They had made up long ago, hadn't they?

"What are we doing here?" he asked quietly. _How the hell does he know exactly what I am thinking? Must be some kind of Drell mind trick._ She sighed almost missing the movement of him rising when she looked at the floor. He grabbed her chin with his thumb and forefinger tilting her head back, so he could look into her eyes. Ali bit her lip self consciously and swallowed. "You shouldn't do that," he said lowly. Immediately, she released her lip and grinned.

"Sorry," she mumbled. _Man, it's hot in here. Damn him._ "Thane?"

"Yes?"

"I don't want to keep fighting."

"Neither do I."

"Then we can stop?"

"If you wish." She sighed though she noticed the amusement in his eyes.

"You're always the diplomat, aren't you?" A small smile played on his lips.

"Yes, when we're near a window, I am always inclined to let you have your way."

"I have never thrown you out a window," she scoffed. His eyebrow ridges shot up.

"You've threatened it enough, have you not?" Kissing him quickly, Ali effectively silenced him.

"Hush, let me speak first." He nodded still a little stunned by her action. She took a few steps back trying to get away from his scent. She had to ground herself as she sobered closing off the slight euphoric feeling from flirting with him again. "I know I made a mistake after Mark and everything. I accept it, and I have been kicking myself ever since." He opened his mouth to disagree, but she raised her hand. "Let me finish, Thane.

"That piece of shit was a huge part of my life, and a part of me who was still that little, scared girl at the Fac loved him with everything she had. He was her protector, and the only thing that made that life bearable. And he betrayed me, and I had to kill him with my own two hands. There was a part of me that was lost. That fucking little girl was terrified that there was someone else that could take Mark's place and be even more." His face darkened slightly. "It's not your fault, Thane. I was afraid, and let it get the better of me. I should have trusted you, but I just couldn't.

"So I threw myself into something I knew I could do. I am a leader. I was raised to be a leader, and I'm damn good at it. Something about having other people's lives in my hands makes it so I don't have to worry about my own life. Work fulfilled me in ways that I was afraid you couldn't. I was only nineteen when we met, and you were little older. That was a long time ago, and my feelings for you haven't changed. I still love you, and I'm still afraid. But I want to be with you. Because fear needs to be faced and conquered, or it rules over you. I love you, Thane. And if it's not too late, I want to be with you." There was a long silence, and Ali awkwardly leaned against the wall waiting for him to speak. "Okay, I'm done," she finally said impatience getting the better of her.

Thane slowly walked towards her until he was barely a few inches away from her. He slowly trailed a finger down her cheek staring into her eyes. She felt like he was just reading every single one of her emotions and fears and doubts. He knew everything about her. What she loved, what she hated, her weaknesses, her strengths, what made her self-conscious, and all those things in her past that made her who she was. And what amazed her was that he accepted all of it without any hesitation.

He didn't answer her which made her squirm inwardly. Slowly, he moved his hands into her hair pushing it back over her shoulders. "Siha," he breathed. It was like she was the only one in the world that he would ever speak to again, and it made her stomach fall onto the ground at her feet somewhere. He leaned forward and gently ran his teeth over her shoulder inhaling her scent in his most intimate way before standing back up straight. "Siha." There it was again. _How in the hell can that one word turn me into goo? I am supposed to be this super soldier, right?_ Reading her reaction like it was the only thing that mattered to him; he leaned forward again and kissed her. Their lips barely touched before he pulled away making her almost fall forward because she tried to follow him. "Siha."

"Fuck," she mumbled mostly to herself finally voicing the mantra that had been going on in her head. A small smile flickered across his face before he kissed her again. She threw her arms around his neck ensuring that he couldn't back away from her again. His hands traveled to her lower back, and he pressed his palms into her.

When they finally separated, she put her forehead against his and smiled up at him goofily. His eyes were dancing with mirth, and a genuine smile graced his lips. She pressed her fingers to them tracing the smile before she looked back into his eyes, and he quickly kissed her fingers not able to let the opportunity pass. A whole new excitement filled her eyes which caught his interest, and he cocked his head questioningly. "Are you ready to jump back into the fray?" she asked answering his silent question.

"More than ready. Being stuck in that hospital has made me rather claustrophobic."


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note: I know I did it twice in as many weeks. Terribly sorry about that. I am working full time and gearing up for the new semester. I will be doing the same thing as last week because this is a super short chapter. Hope you enjoy it. Please Review**

* * *

"Our mission is to rescue the Hanar scientists from the compound. Cerberus has hit and is threatening the cure to Kepral's syndrome that they have been working on," Shepard said briefly. Ali looked over her shoulder at Thane with a reading look. His stoic appearance would have fooled most, but Ali could tell that he was worried about the scientists. She was more worried about getting that cure into him before he got any worse. She jumped as a message dinged at her station making her notice that she was staring.

"Message from the scientists, Shepard. It's messy. I'll try and clean it up for you," she said actually letting EDI do all the work.

"Apologies for changing the parameters of the mission, but with Cerberus closing in, this one decided to move to the other side of the compound away from the labs."

"Are you safe for now?"

"This one believes so."

"What about the cure? Did you take it with you?" Ali asked forgetting herself.

"No, Cerberus after cure. Decided to leave it behind. Thought it would keep them off us," a Salarian spoke up in their usual broken matter. I reminded Ali of Dr. Solus who had died on Tuchanka before she joined the crew. Whenever she looked at the memorial wall on the crew deck, she was reminded of how endearing he was. During one of his short visits to the Citadel with Shepard, she had let him run all sorts of tests to discover exactly what the Fac had done to her to make her into what she was. During those hours, she had become close with both him and Dr. Chakwas.

"Shepard, we must rescue the scientists. They can always remake the cure," Thane said stepping forward.

"Um, no. It could take years to replicate the cure without their data, and you won't make it that long. Cerberus has all ready wiped the computers with a virus. We have to get the cure to be able to even get close to helping Thane," Ali contradicted turning in her seat. Cortez silently took over her station.

"Siha, you don't get a say in this."

"What? Why?"

"I know you would do anything to ensure my health. It clouds your judgment." She looked to Garrus for help but he wisely didn't insert himself into the conversation.

"We're going after the scientists, so it doesn't matter anyways," Shepard said putting himself between the quarreling couple. She shot him a murderous look before pressing on her comm link for the Normandy.

"EDI, upload schematics of the compound to my omni-tool, please."

"It is all ready downloaded, Ms. Daniels."

"Thank-you."

"Cortez, what part of the compound are we over?"

"The lab side, but it's too hot to set down."

"What are you doing?" Thane asked grabbing her arm gently.

"I'm letting affection cloud my judgment. I don't care, Cortez. Just get me to the highest point of the building. I will take care of it from there."

"Ali, you can't go down there especially not alone," Shepard said blocking her way to the opening door. Ali met his eyes sternly and pushed him aside.

"Watch me," she spat before falling backwards out of the shuttle. She spun letting the wind catch her extremities slowing her down before landing hard on the roof and rolling to stop her from breaking any bones. As she dropped off the roof onto the main level, bullets ripped the air around her.

By the time they all fell, she hadn't even replaced her heat sink. Looking around for the ventilation shafts, she leaped into the narrow space and made her way towards the lab area. The place was crawling with Cerberus, and it was all she could do not to kill them all. The assassin in her was fighting to get out, but she held it in not wanting to spill more blood than was necessary. Everything about this situation sucked. She was going against Thane and Shepard trying to get this cure, and there was no guarantee that it would work or if it was still there.

Being in the vents reminded her of the first time she had been there with Thane. _I still hate the vents. Thane said he got used to it. I must be claustrophobic or something._ Then the memory made her smile to herself. He had been so patronizing but at the same time he was teasing her into being patient with the route they were taking. Ever since their kiss in his quarters and the subsequent long talk, she couldn't stop thinking about him. The way the slightly blue lights of the Normandy hit his scales compared to the way the natural sunlight or the lights of the Citadel. She felt like what a school girl probably felt like when she found her first love. _Get a grip._

When EDI's schematics indicated she was directly over the lab where the Hanar had said the cure was located, she glanced through the grate memorizing the position of all the agents inside the room. They still hadn't hacked the locks on the vault door giving her hope that maybe this wasn't for nothing. Silently, she dropped out of the grating behind a counter and slowly made her way to where the agents were thickest. Taking a deep breath, she slit the throat of the man in front of her immediately throwing her knife into the neck of the next closest Cerberus agent. Before the rest of the troopers could respond with any kind of force, she had broken the necks of three others and shot the rest. "EDI, get me into the vault," she said into her comm channel.

"You're in."

"Thank-you."

Ali stepped into the vault glancing around for a syringe or injector of some sort. It was in a glass box that looked like a refrigerator. "EDI, can I just take the cure out of there or is there some kind of procedure?" There was a pause.

"Not that I detect, Ms. Daniels." _Small blessings._

"Thanks again, EDI, don't know what I would do without you."

"You would probably be dead by now."

"Exactly," she said pushing the syringe into a pocket before turning to go. "Is there a warning signal from any of these troopers out there that will have them ambush me?"

"No." With a quick nod, she headed out into the main room and jumped back into the vents.

"Cortez, where is the LZ?"

"In the middle of the compound. I can't make my way back to the Hanar with all the Cerberus troops in the area. By your position, I suggest that you move forward to the west until you hit the outside wall. I will pick you up from the end of the ventilation shaft."

"Roger that. I will be there in a few minutes."

* * *

"Are they back yet?" Ali asked as soon as she boarded the shuttle.

"No, they are pinned down by a bunch of troopers. And the last I heard they had a few Atlas inbound."

"Can we meet them?"

"No, it's too hot."

"Please, Cortez, can you find a way?" There were a few moments of silence as Cortez switched between views of the area the team was trapped in.

"I think I can find a way. Maybe if we can get here then rise up at the same moment as they come. We shouldn't be shot down," he said pointing to a holographic projection of the compound.

"They won't be able to get out of there in time. Is there a way you can drop me off? I can buy them time."

"I can't drop you behind them."

"Then drop me in front, Cortez."

"That's suicide, Ali." She gave him a look, then glanced away.

"If I don't make it, I need you to make sure Thane takes this. Even if it's by force," she said handing him the cure.

"I can't do that, Ali."

"Please, I have to save him even if it means sacrificing myself to do it. And I know that you know how I feel." He stared at her for a few moments before nodding looking saddened. _Wow, I hit the nail on the head for once. Go me._ She cupped his cheek smiling warmly at him.

"Shepard, do you read me?" she asked sobering immediately.

"Yeah, go, Ali."

"Cortez is going to try and get a drop behind you, but we have to time it just right. The shuttle isn't going to be able to take heavy mech fire."

"We only have one more to take out. We can make it."

"How many troopers do you have and how many heat sinks?"

"Truthfully, a lot and a few in that order," Garrus chimed in.

"Then you do what I say, Shepard. We need to get you out of here unharmed. You're too important to the galaxy." There was a pause.

"Okay, where is the drop?"

"Sending you the information," she said before shutting down the comm channel.

"You didn't tell him about your plans."

"I don't need them worrying about me. I just need them to run as fast and as mindlessly as they can." He couldn't look at her but held out his hand.

"Good luck." She slapped his hand away.

"I don't need it. I'll be seeing you later anyways."

Cortez slowed down as he skimmed past the ledge farther up the battlefield. Shepard was all ready giving the others orders to start running. The Atlas was just coming out of the compound through a cloud of smoke, and Ali started running low through all the debris keeping out of sight. The shuttle doors opened ready for the others to jump in. Ali leaped on top of the crates running alongside the wall and the Atlas and ran as fast as her legs could take her. "Ali, what are you doing?" Thane asked through the comm.

"What I am good at." She jumped into the air landing on the front of the Atlas pulling out her pistol. With one shot, the canopy shattered exposing the pilot who she killed with a strike with her knife in the skull even through his helmet, and she put the knife back in its sheath. Bullets bounced off the mech's body making Ali move faster. With a well placed punch, she ripped out the cooling coils. She winced feeling her skin break even under her gloves. _Ten seconds until the thing explodes with enough force to take out the whole compound. _She threw herself off and hit the ground running.

_Nine._ "Go, go, go, Cortez," she yelled waving her arms. _Eight. _She slid around a few crates then immediately jumped over the next few tucking and rolling. _Seven._ Troopers were still shooting obviously not realizing they were about to die. _Six._

"I'm not letting you leave without her, Shepard. I don't care what she told you to do." _Five._

"Thane, she told me that she is willing to die for the Hanar scientists, for you," Cortez said obviously trying to be a mediator. _Four._ It didn't take this long to get to the Atlas, why was it taking this long to get back to the shuttle? _Three._ The shuttle was moving farther down the ledge and slightly up like Cortez was trying to decide whether to listen to her and the Commander or Thane. _Two._ Ali jumped over another few crates diving over a trooper doing her best to avoid another kill. Bullets bounced off her shields which were holding up despite the situation. She couldn't help but smile as the knowledge that her equipment was top of the line made to last. _One._

The entire landing zone was engulfed in smoke and fire, and shards of armor, metal, and cement were sent everywhere. Cortez turned the shuttle so that the bottom got the force protecting the people on board from shrapnel. It moved away from the ledge just as Ali burst through the smoke sliding along the bottom and hitting the other side hard with her shoulder. Thane's hands grabbed her shoulders and he shielded her body from further damage with his own. She coughed a few times emptying the bitter smoke from her lungs.

When she got to her feet, arms wrapped around her in an embrace. "I am glad that you are okay," Thane whispered in her ear. She chuckled looking into his dark eyes.

"I am always okay." She absently touched her hand to her side acting like her ribs hurt. Ali looked at Cortez and grabbed the syringe off her seat next to him. The Hanar were huddled in the corner talking to each other through their bioluminescent colors. The Salarians were mixed in with them talking quietly amongst themselves. "Are they all right?"

"Yes, none of them were injured." Ali slowly showed him the syringe. Thane sucked in a breath glancing from the cure to her eyes.

"You know I cannot take this. There are many who deserve it more than I. In addition, the Hanar need it to make more for my people who have Kepral's."

"They can recreate it. Are those Drell helping to save the galaxy? Twice technically. And they can use your DNA to synthesize a cure from it knocking out years of recreating the cure. Ask them yourself." He just stared at her trying to read her thoughts. She looked up at the Hanar. "Excuse my interruption, but may I ask you something?" One of the Hanar turned towards her. Thane stiffened, but she put her hand on his chest effectively silencing him.

"This one is willing to answer any of your questions."

"I managed to get your cure out of there," she said showing the syringe. The Hanar's colors turned from the mute calm pink and purple to excited flashes of the same colors. "This Drell has the disease you were attempting to cure, and he is in the final stages. I actually gave him your arresting agent, and that's the only reason he is alive today. I wish to ask permission on his behalf to use the cure on him."

"This one is afraid that the cure has not been tested. It may not actually cure Kepral's syndrome," he said moving forward.

"I am willing to take that chance." Thane started to protest again, but with a finger to his mouth and a long look, he remained uneasily quiet.

"Then this one permits you to use it, but it will need access to blood tests and skin samples after the cure has been administered."

"Thank-you," she said bowing slightly. The Hanar moved back and started conversing with the other Hanar.

"Please, Thane, please, take it for me. I need you to live." He still seemed hesitant but held out his arm anyways. Ali looked over her shoulder at Shepard who had thankfully kept silent, and he nodded at her. She put the syringe to his arm and pushed the button. He sighed when the needles went in but did nothing more. "Thank-you."

Shepard stepped forward and slipped in a puddle of liquid. "Cortez, have you been drinking in the shuttle?" He kneeled and put his fingers in bringing them back up to look at them. "It's blood."

"That would be me," Ali said pulling her hand which was covered in blood aside revealing a shard of Atlas metal lodged in her side right under her ribs. She looked back up at Thane then fell. Smoothly, he caught her following her to the floor. Shepard examined the wound then put his finger to his comm link calling ahead to the Normandy.

"Be ready for a casualty. Cortez step on it."


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note: This is a pretty short chapter, and I am posting one tomorrow which is much longer though not the longest by far. Hope you enjoy. Please review**

* * *

Ali sat on the ledge of the window in the shuttle bay. Vega had gone to the lounge to get a much needed drink, and Cortez was somewhere else on the ship taking a break from fixing the underside of the shuttle. The sky was filled with stars just like it was all days and nights, but there was a cluster of stars directly in front of her which was particularly beautiful. "How are you feeling?" Thane asked from the floor.

"Almost fully healed thanks to the genetic modifications. Can make almost anyone jealous of my healing rate," she answered without looking down at him. "How about you?"

"Dr. Chakwas did some tests on my blood. She says that the oxygen level has risen since the last time she tested it. She remains confident that I will be fully healed in a matter of weeks."

"I am glad to hear it. At least, I didn't kill all those Cerberus agents for no reason."

"I have you to thank. If it wasn't for your stubbornness, I could have been dead in a few months." Ali quickly dropped from the ledge and walked away not even looking at him.

"Don't talk like that."

"I apologize. I didn't mean to offend you, but it could have been true."

"I don't want to think about what could have happened if the Hanar scientists hadn't found a cure." She stopped walking and hugged herself as if she was suddenly cold. "Please, don't make me even contemplate it."

Arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her against his chest. "I upset you, and I apologize. I am simply pleased that you are unharmed." His face was pressed against her neck sending his hot breath across her exposed skin.

"What about the scientists?" she asked trying to divert his attention.

"They are gone, but they have agreed to work on the Crucible until the threat has passed then start work on the cure again." He had made his way to her shoulder rubbing his soft, cool lips over her skin and gently scraping his teeth over her shoulder.

"I have a question"

"What is it, Siha?"

"What were the Hanar saying after I talked to them on the shuttle?" He chuckled, a low rumble in his chest.

"They were saying that you handled yourself very well, and they were impressed by the fact that you risked your life for a Drell assassin who obviously didn't want to be saved. They could sense the hero that you are, and they respected it." His arms tightened making her lean against him even more. He was a hard mass of muscles and calm behind her making her just want to collapse into him. "They also asserted that I had made a good choice in my mate. They said that you are beautiful, strong, intelligent, and full of life and warmth. And no person could have made a better partner to an assassin." Ali let out a laugh shaking her head against his shoulder.

"Now you're just making that up."

"I would never lie to you, Siha." She looked up into his face to see him staring at her. Tilting her face up, she touched her lips to his moaning as his tongue met hers.

"Thane, we have to focus on saving the galaxy," she said moving her face away from his looking across the bay with her head still on his shoulder. His chest vibrated with a silent chuckle before he kissed her neck and released her.

"What would you propose we do instead?"

"Do you feel up to sparring? I haven't had a good workout since I left the Citadel."

"Absolutely, I admit I have missed our sparring," he chuckled taking a few steps back.

They moved around each other in blurs. Both were so good and so well matched that neither landed a real hit. They either blocked or moved around a punch or kick. But as the fight stretched out, they started battling harder just trying to touch each other. "Yep, I have definitely missed this." She murmured as they circled planning the next several moves.

"Do you not have your other assassins to spar with?" he asked.

"Well, yeah, but I beat all of them too easily. You're always a challenge."

"Because you haven't won yet?" She laughed as they circled each other.

"You haven't won either."

"I have never claimed that I won." Ali wouldn't let him rest for too long, and she went into a series of hard attacks not letting up until they were both panting. She hadn't been worked this hard in a long time, and she loved it. By the way his eyes were shining, he was enjoying it too. She was breathing hard and sweat was glistening on her skin. Thane had taken off his jacket by this time, and she could see that he was straining himself as well.

They kept fighting neither slowing down in their assault. The thrill of the fight had numbed them to the outside world and even the strain of their own body's. Both knew they had to end the fight, but they were so evenly matched in technique that it could have gone on for an eternity with neither getting the upper hand for more than several seconds. Sweat was dripping off both of them, but neither slowed to even wipe their brow in case the other would use it to their advantage.

Ali changed tactics moving faster than he could. While he had strength because his muscles were denser than a human's, she could move her weight around a lot faster. She landed a few good hits to his body making him grunt when they connected. Ali kicked him hard in the chest momentarily forgetting that his lungs were still weak. Thane fell backwards hitting the ground hard. His breath came out of him, but as her brow furrowed when she realized what she had done, he flipped up fast and tackled her to the ground knowing she couldn't overpower him especially when she didn't have enough time to move out of the way.

Thane had her pinned under his superior body weight, but she was giggling. "That was a dirty trick, Krios."

"Does this count as a win?" he asked smiling as well. She kissed him deeply instead of answering not caring that both of them were covered in sweat.

"Do you count it as a win?"

"No, not if you lost on purpose." She shrugged running her hands up and down his spine. "What happened to focusing on the mission?"

"You are very good at diverting focus. At least mine." He chuckled again unhooking her arms from around him and rising. "You're no fun."

"Maybe my self control is more evolved than yours." He offered his hand to her which she took.

"I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"No, as I said, I am feeling better than ever, actually. But I could ask the same question."

"I only have a scratch left really."

"May I see?"

She gave him a 'Is this just to see me with some clothes off?' look, but obliged lifting the hem of her shirt until the bottom of her ribs. Thane slowly ran a cool thumb over the thick red line making her shiver. "I apologize."

"No, it tickled," she elaborated looking into his dark eyes.

"Really?" He teasingly ran his finger over the same spot making her bite her lip to keep herself from smiling. She leaned into his neck teasingly flicking one of his frills with her tongue.

"You know anyone looking out the engineering window can see us?" she whispered before pulling away from him and moving back to her window. "As I said, we need to stay focused on the mission _for now_, and I believe that neither of us will be able to pull ourselves out of life support if we do anything rash." Ali smiled before jumping back up to her ledge of the window.

"You certainly know how to keep a man interested, Siha." She glanced at him feeling warmth flow through her. He turned silently walking away to the elevator.


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's Note: Enjoy this chapter (it's longer than the last two). Have a great weekend. Please review**

* * *

"Reaper forces incoming! Guys get out of there!" Joker yelled through the comm. The planet was a ravaged mess, but they had gotten what little intel they could. She was glad to leave the dusty air behind. Let the Reapers have this stupid planet.

"Okay, let's move," Shepard said signaling the way back to the shuttle. He started off at a sprint. Thane was behind him, and Ali brought up the rear.

"Destroyer incoming, Shepard," she informed looking over her shoulder. It landed with a rumble that almost threw the group off their feet, but they pressed on. Not waiting more than a few seconds to look around, the Destroyer fired its main cannon. The red beam cut into the ground directly to the right throwing them off their feet. Columns collapsed or simply tipped over leaving a cloud of dust hanging in the air.

"Shepard! Anyone," Joker called. There were several moments of complete silence during which the entire crew on the Normandy held their breath.

"I'm here, Joker."

"Shit! Don't scare me like that again, Commander."

"Shepard, I need a hand," Ali called through the thinning dirt cloud. She yanked at the column again with all her strength and only succeeded in inching it farther up Thane's leg. Shepard joined her on the other side trying to lift it too. "Thane, can you point your toe?" she asked after a few attempts by the both of them. She proceeded to clear some of the rubble from around him.

"Yes, I can," he responded a few seconds later.

"We need to try and roll it off. We won't be able to lift it by ourselves. We would need a few Krogan to manage that." Shepard wordlessly nodded glancing over his shoulder. The Destroyer had yet to see that they had survived its initial blast, but it was making its way towards them. Slowly they started to roll the column off Thane's leg.

A tickling, drone had started in the back of Ali's mind when the beam hit and now it was starting to become individual words that she couldn't quite understand. The beam was at his ankle when the words started to make sense. "Kill Shepard. Kill Commander Shepard." She looked up at the sky forgetting what she was doing. There was a full sized Reaper still in the sky. It seemed to be waiting for something. The Destroyer was still some way away.

"Daniels, what are you doing? We need to move," Shepard yelled at her, but she didn't hear him.

"You hate him. Take out your weapon and put a bullet in his head." _Just because I dislike Shepard doesn't mean I want him dead._ "Kill Shepard, now." Ali arms started to shake as she fought the seemingly uncontrollable urge to take her pistol off her hip and put it to Shepard's head. _No, you can't make me do what I don't want to. You have no power over me._

"Siha," Thane started before Shepard cut him off and tried to move the column on his own.

All at once, Ali took off towards the Destroyer which had picked up speed when its master couldn't convince her to kill the Commander. The beam struck the ground to her left, but she dodged and rolled away coming back to her feet. "Siha," Thane yelled from back where Shepard was still pushing the column off his leg. She ignored him emptying her mind. She was focused on the movement of the Destroyer's legs memorizing the motion. With a flying leap, she landed on the first joint turning on her gloves and started to climb up the leg. The Destroyer fought back as much as it could without firing at its own leg, but Ali proved hard to dislodge. She continued climbing towards the only weak point on the Destroyer that Shepard had found on Rannoch. The Reaper almost threw her off many times, but she was on a mission, totally focused on nothing but the goal.

When she finally got to the eye of the Destroyer, a beam shot out of it, and it seemed like her skin was being burned off. She took out of her knife and went to work making a hole in the weak point of the metal to plant a grenade in. It took longer than she wanted. The Destroyer got off a few more shots trying to hit her with one. Sweat was dripping off her making her armor uncomfortable in all the wrong places. Her hands were hurting like hell from trying to pry the metal apart. Finally, she ripped the metal far enough apart to get several grenades in the hole before looking at the ground and jumping the 160 meters down. Before hitting the ground, she turned on the shock absorbers on her armor. The fall was still jarring, and she knew she would be sore in the morning; but she didn't break anything or die. So she was lucky. The grenades exploded making the Destroyer scream clawing at its eye before falling down in a heap of flailing limps. Finally it was silent by the time she got back to Thane and the Commander.

"That was stupid, Daniels," Shepard muttered. He had finally got the column off Thane, and they were waiting for her.

"Sorry, I didn't know if the next beam would miss us." They all looked back at the sound of another Reaper horn and saw a second Destroyer touching down where the other had fallen. "Maybe we should go."

"Agreed, Siha." Thane took the lead this time with Ali close behind him, and Shepard took up the rear. The beam had hewed a giant rift in the planet side. They ran along the narrow shelf on the side of the rift towards the shuttle which was over the next rise.

"Can we discuss maybe parking closer to the objective next time?" Ali muttered into the comm.

Another beam shot their way, burrowing into the ground to their right then horizontally cutting in front of them. They all put on a burst of speed and made it over the gap without much trouble. The shelf pitched backwards. Ali glanced back when she couldn't hear feet pounding the ground behind her and saw Shepard sliding towards the gap. "Thane, keep going," she shouted when he looked back too and slowed down. "I've got it covered." Whipping around, Ali sprinted back to Shepard. To his credit, he was grabbing everything around him, but it was all breaking apart from the age of the ruins. As the shelf pitched back even more, she threw herself back and started to slide also. Turning the knob on her glove and deploying the saw-like blade on the side of her wrist, she waited until the last possible second to put her hand on the ground. Ali caught Shepard as soon as he started to fall through thin air, and since she was on her back with her hand on the ground behind her and with all his weight on her arm, she felt her shoulder rip out of its socket with a sickening snap and crunch. She screamed in pain but clenched her teeth and used all her strength to swing him towards the shelf.

It was still crumbling and barely hanging on to the edge of the rift, but Shepard managed to grab the ledge and get to his feet. He nodded in thanks, and they sprinted towards the shuttle which was lifting in the air and flying horizontal to them. She jumped into the shuttle groaning as the jolt went straight to her shoulder. "Get us out of here, Cortez," Shepard said looking back out the closing door at the multiple Reapers that were landing on the planet. "And nice flying."

"Siha, are you all right?" Thane asked concern furrowing his brow. She smiled assuredly.

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"Those were some impressive moves, Daniels, even if they were dangerous. But you took out a Reaper by yourself. Are you sure you're not the answer to the war?" the commander said finally turning to the two of them. There was a small impressed smile on his lips making Ali pause in suspicion. _Who was this man, and what had he done with Shepard?_

"It was only a small one plus I used what _you_ found out on Rannoch. It was no big deal. Given the knowledge and proper equipment, you could have probably done it."

"What happened back there?" he asked suddenly turning serious. _Ah, there he is. Nevermind._

"The Reaper was telling me to kill you." He stared at her for several long moments before nodding and leaving it at that.

* * *

"I would recommend some bed rest, Miss Daniels. You have quite a few fractures on top of the dislocated shoulder," Dr. Chakwas said after her scan.

"As long as nothing is broken outright, I will be fine, Doctor. If you would set the shoulder, it would be much appreciated."

"Your genetic modifications are quite extensive. I am surprised that you survived the procedures needed for this kind of thing," she commented while she prepped to pop her shoulder back into its socket.

"I was very young, as in a newborn. My body had time to heal and grow around them. That doesn't mean that it wasn't horribly painful. I was kept unconscious for days after each procedure."

"Would you like a countdown?"

"No, surprise me, Doc." In one swift move, the doctor popped her shoulder back into place, and Ali hissed in pain.

"I would recommend minimizes any movement."

"Of course."

"Do you need any pain medication or medi-gel?"

"No. It will be healed in a few hours. I just needed you to set it, so it would heal correctly. Thank you, Dr. Chakwas."

"It is my pleasure, Miss Daniels."

"Feel free to call me Ali."

"Of course. I have feeling I might see a lot of you Ali since you enjoy taking out Reapers with your bare hands not to mention the Atlas also. You may call me Karen," she said with a motherly smile.

"I look forward to be being in your capable hands, Karen."

Walking out of the med bay, Ali decided that she wouldn't be able to get up to her bedroll with the pain shooting up her shoulder with every move, so she made her way to Life Support finding Thane was not there. His jacket was on the back of his chair, and she wrapped it on her own shoulders though the added weight of his lightly armored jacket made her wince. Sitting down on his cot, she laid out on her good side facing the wall and closed her eyes. She was asleep in seconds with the smell of Thane around her.

* * *

Thane gently brushed his knuckles against Ali's cheek barely making any contact. Her eyes flickered open at the touch, and she looked up at the Drell. "I apologize. I did not mean to wake you, but you were irresistible," he said with a small smile. "I might have to obtain a bigger cot." She blinked sleepily and returned his smile with her own.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to fall asleep."

"It's quite all right, Siha. You are truly even more stunning when you are asleep." He brushed the hair from her face. "Were you injured badly?"

"No, just a dislocated shoulder and a few fractures." His brow furrowed thinking about her being hurt. "I am fine, Thane. I can barely feel it anymore." She ran her fingers over his cheek bone trailing one of his fringes. He sighed and leaned into her touch. A deep almost inaudible rumbling came from his chest making her grin. "Would you care to join me?"

"I highly doubt the cot is big enough for two people, Siha."

"There is never any harm in trying." He chuckled shaking his head.

"Are you in any pain?"

"Just a twinge now and then. Nothing compared to when it happened." He nodded and swiftly pulled her off the cot and into his lap making her gasp in surprise.

Thane nuzzled her neck and gently tugged on her earlobe with his teeth while Ali slowly traced the stripes on his bare arm. "I've missed this, Siha," he murmured into her ear.

"Me too," she admitted running her nose against his.

"It's been so long since I've felt like I can relax."

"What about with Irikah? I thought she was good for you."

"Yes, she was. In the beginning."

"What do you mean?"

"We fell out of love near the end. We weren't even sleeping in the same room for a while." Ali touched his cheek then wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It wasn't your fault. It was mine. I spent too much time away from them."

"What about Kolyat?"

"Irikah and I agreed that we were going to stay together and try and work it out for his sake. It actually seemed to be working. We were even beginning to sleep in the same bed. Then the Batarians killed her." Thane looked into the distance "_I walk into our home. As soon as I enter, I know something is wrong. The usual flowers on the table in front of the door is knocked over. Water is all over the floor. Immediately, I take out my pistol and make my way through the house room by room. When I get into the back living room, I can smell the metallic scent of blood. My breathing increases when I think of the possibility of my son being the source. I turn the corner and glance down. Irikah is on the floor in a pool of blood. I can tell that she stopped breathing a long time ago, her body is cold. I look for my Kolyat, but the only other body I find is a merc. I smile sadly at the thought that my wife took the merc out. _

"_I look around the house once more time trying to ascertain what happened. It looks like Irikah was in the kitchen making dinner for when I would come home. She fought hard. The kitchen is a worse mess than the rest of the house. The merc she killed is in the dining room, and that's where the blood trail starts. Irikah fell at the end of the dining room table and rested for a while before she got to her feet and struggled to the back room. She fell again at the doorway and couldn't get back up, so she drug herself to where she died. I look at the data pad she was reaching for and learn that Kolyat is at his aunt and uncle's. I sigh with relief._"Thane blinked and looked at Ali who smiled at him. A few tears made their way down her cheeks. He gently wiped them away with his knuckles. "Don't cry for me, Siha. I don't deserve it."

"Yes, you do. You had to see that. You had to experience that. You deserve everything in life now, Thane," she said wrapping her arms around him again. "I am also crying for Irikah. She was a good woman, a good mother. She deserved to see her son grown up. I hope she can. I hope she sees everyday what a wonderful young man he is now."

"Let us not talk of such things." She nodded and rested her head on his chest.

"You never told me about how you ended up on the Citadel," he murmured.

"It's not much of a story."

"I would like to know all the same." She shook her head in surrender.

"Mark and I managed to get ten other people out with us, and we got to a shack 100 miles away from the facility before we even thought of stopping. It was there that we learned we were in Canada. Even on Earth, it's still one of the least populated places because it's so cold. We stayed there for a few days treating wounds received from the escape and getting some rest while trying to plan the next step. We were listening to the news trying to find out if there were any alerts regarding us. Two days from when we escaped was when the facility was destroyed by a missile. The official report was that it was an unknown terrorist cell that wasn't taking credit for it. No one was reported killed in the explosion.

"Mark and I decided that we needed to get off the planet, but if we were being looked for, we came up with the plan of leaving in twos as stowaways on outgoing transports. It took two weeks for everyone to get to the Citadel. We started the team after that. One of our techs came up with the idea of getting out an encrypted message on the vids only the students from the facility would know how to decrypt. Over the next year or so, twenty other people joined our team. I didn't like the way Mark was handling the jobs. All he was taking was money making jobs for merc organizations and organized crime. I quit the team after a year."

Thane listened without interruption, and when she finished, he was silent for several long moments. He looked up at her. "Why did you two decide to leave?"

"My last job for the facility," she answered tightly her lips pressed into a thin line.

"If you don't want to talk about it, I will not pry."

"No, it's okay. I was sent to take out this dangerous biotic that was planning on killing a group of peace delegates-"

_Ali never remembered the fighting or the blood when she was triggered. It was like she was just a passenger looking out the windshield in a blizzard. She knew what was happening in the most basic sense, but she had no control and no clear picture of what was going on. "Kill every guard you see whether they fire at you or not. And we're equipping you with grenades. Use them all. The Alliance wants this highly publicized," Ethan told her reading through the orders line by line. "Do you have it, Alisa?"_

"_Of course, Ethan. I'm all over it."_

_Finally making it to the penthouse door, Ali switched from her SMG to a pistol expecting there to be about five in the room protecting the actual target. "Now this biotic is going to be dangerous. Your target is going to assassinate an entire Peace Delegation of mixed species, so you need to take her out as quickly as you can. Don't wait until the last minute like you usually do."_

"_Yes, sir." Taking out every guard with a single shot when she blew door the door, she quickly scanned the room. _Where is the target?_ She heard sobbing coming from the master bedroom and headed that way without a second thought. Pinpointing the sound, she flung the entire bed including the frame across the room where it crashed through the window onto the balcony. _

_Then it was like the blizzard just disappeared. The road was alight and Ali could see what lay in front of them. A child flinched away from the barrel of her weapon and another strangled sob escaped her. _What the fuck?_ Her eyes searched the girl for some kind of ill intent, but it was simply not there. She wasn't even glowing with biotics. Ali lowered her pistol knowing that she couldn't kill this innocent girl. Whether she was shaking with adrenaline or shame, she couldn't tell, but she had to get herself and this kid out of here. Or the whole Facility would fall on their heads. _

_It felt like some kind of darkness was swimming around the corners of her vision, and she pushed it back knowing it was what remained of the battle mode and instinctually trapping it in the corner of her mind. "Everything is going to be all right now. I promise. Come with me, and I will get you out of here," she said offering the girl a hand. This biotic couldn't have been more than ten. Her face was swollen and tear-streaked. She was wearing what looked like boy's clothes, and her blonde hair was cropped short. "You have nothing to fear from me." The child looked up at her and took her proffered hand letting Ali pick her up and take her out of the ruined hotel._

_They dodged the Facility and the terrorist cell for months. Ali protected the girl with inexhaustible ferocity, and they became very close over the time they had together. But a life on the run had to end. And it did. First the Facility sent Ethan who tried to trigger her, and when that didn't work. He sent in a five man team including Mark and Gerry. She held them off as long as she could trying to get the girl to run and keep running. But a lifetime of fear made her stick to Ali like glue. And in the end they were both captured and taken back to the Facility headquarters. _

_Ali was tortured which she had expected, and it was weeks before she was thrown broken and near death into a dark cell. "Ali!" the child yelled running over to her and hugging her neck._

"_Hey, kid, are you all right? Did they hurt you?" she asked weakly trying to put on a brave face. The girl didn't look like she had been harmed. She was dirty and had a weird metal band around her neck, but other than that, she was the same as the day they had been captured. _

"_No." _

"_Good. I was worried about you." _

_A metal grate opened on the door, and a pistol was thrust in. It skidded across the floor noisily and stopped at her feet. Ali instinctually picked it up and checked if it was loaded and had a heat sink. "Ali? What's going on? Why did they give you a gun?" the girl asked. The metal around the girl's neck started to glow blue around the inside, and Ali felt her eyes widen. Suddenly, her body didn't hurt so much, and she wasn't so tired. Adrenaline iced her veins giving her enough strength to sit up. _

"_Whatever you feel, just keep looking at me. Don't look away and whatever you do, do not use your biotics," she instructed grabbing the girl's face and forcing her to look into her eyes._

"_I don't understand what is going on. Can't we just go home?" _

_The first electrical pulse made the girl scream, but no biotic energy came out of her. The child made Ali proud. She was able to handle quite a few pulses before starting to glow with biotic energy that tingled as it passed over Ali's skin. She knew what they were doing, and that in the end she would probably die before killing the girl. "Emily, don't be afraid. I will always be with you," she whispered. The girl screamed again. _

_Ali was thrown across the metal room bouncing off the walls a few times before falling heavily to the ground. The pain was blinding, and the resounding cracks that echoed through the room were sickening. She tried to raise herself up, but she just couldn't. Everything collapsed under her weight. The collar lit up again, and Emily was sobbing trying to drag herself over to Ali to hold her hand. She managed to touch her fingers before the crackling filled the room again. The room plunged into fuzzy whiteness, and she could no longer see. All at once, she was taken out of the driver's seat and put in the trunk._

* * *

"I killed the girl. At least that's what Ethan told me a week later when I regained consciousness in the infirmary. She broke half the bones in my body with that biotic attack. Her power was quite impressive. With the proper training, she could have been an unstoppable weapon," Ali finished looking out at the drive core.

"I apologize. We stopped talking about the death of my wife because it was too horrible, and I made you talk about that," he murmured into her ear. She looked over at him with a sad smile and shook her head.

"It just reminds me of why I do what I do. Why Mark and I left. It also makes me happy that I was the one to teach all of my team how to slip in and break out of battle mode without the safe word. It makes them a lot safer." She paused for a second and continued looking up at the ceiling with her head on his shoulder. "Everything happens for a reason. That young girl did me more good than she could have known."

"I love you." This made her smile, and she immediately pushed the dark thoughts to the back of her mind.

Ali moved around in his lap, so she was straddling him. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she kissed him. Everything below her waist tightened at the feeling of him finally in her arms. As his tongue traced her lower lip, she opened her mouth to him and moaned when he entered. Their tongues circled each other slowly exploring the mouths that used to be so known. "Someone is glad to see me," she said idly. Her hands traveled down his body. He sharply inhaled, and his head fell back with his mouth open.

"Siha," he breathed. Ignoring him, she smiled pushing him farther back. He fell back against his elbows and gave her a quizzical look as she moved farther down his body. She unzipped his pants in one swift move.

"Siha, what are you-" Ali hushed him with a look and ran a finger down his length circling the head. He was thick and there were four ribs, two on either side which made him even bigger in those places. She licked her lips and looked up at Thane through hooded eyes. Ali took the head of his cock in her mouth and circled it with her tongue. She glanced up at him and smiled slightly when she saw his face. His head was tilted slightly back and his mouth was slack. She sucked hard earning herself a small gasp then started working in earnest. Using her hands to keep him from thrusting too far into her mouth, she took him down as far as she could and sucked again. She moved back up again and licked the head collecting the bead of moisture that had collected there. Ali moved back down and started moving fast. She felt Thane's breath hitch in his throat, and he grunted in pleasure. Glancing up at him again, she saw that his mouth was shaped in a perfect O, and she knew he was close. All at once every one of his muscles tensed, and he came in her mouth with a moan. Sitting up, she swallowed and smiled at his face. He was breathing hard.

"Have you never had a woman do that for you before?" she asked tilting her head to the side when he was able to respond. He shook his head and struggled to lean against his hands instead of his elbows.

"Drell woman do not do that."

"Why not?"

"They have a different toxin in their mouths. It's one of their few defense mechanisms. Partners can get to the point of kissing like we do, but what you just did you _never_ have happened. If something as fragile as _that_ were to enter their mouth, the results would be unpleasant." Ali blinked when the colors of the room changed slightly. It seemed Drell semen was stronger than saliva or skin contact.

"Well, welcome to the world of blow jobs, Sere Krios," she joked. Thane sat up zipping his pants and grabbed her around the waist forcing her to the cool floor.

"I am curious to see how your skin reacts to the cold," he breathed in her ear. "As you might recall, I didn't get to explore much." She bit her lip to hide a smile.

"You were sleeping," she mumbled.

"Not one of my finest moments."

"I liked it. Knowing that you felt comfortable enough to let your guard down, made me feel special."

Thane glanced down at her body and hooked his thumbs under the hem of her shirt revealing her taught abdomen. He pulled the shirt up and over her head his eyes glittering. When her bare skin touched the cold floor, her back arched away from the cold and into his warmth. The purring started deep in his chest as his fingers ran over her skin, over the goose bumps that had formed. He trailed his open mouth over her skin letting his hot breath linger. When he made it to her belly button, he dipped his tongue into the shallow hole making her squeak involuntarily. He wrapped an arm around her waist lifting her slightly from the floor and kissed her deeply his other hand fisting in her hair. He moved his mouth down her neck to the place where her neck met her shoulder and bit down gently. She sharply inhaled and pressed her thighs together. Deftly he unclasped her bra, and she helped him take it off. Looking up into her eyes, he leaned forward and took one of her nipples in his mouth.

Ali's hands moved down his back, and her nails dug into his leather vest. She arched her back pushing her breasts toward him. "Eager?" he asked mildly, but there was a smile in his eyes. She nodded biting her lip. His chest vibrated with a silent chuckle, and he proceeded to tease her other nipple in the same way until it was hard. Thane let her back touch the floor causing her to arch her back more to escape the cold. She gasped breathily. His fingers traced the goose flesh on her stomach. "I love this," he murmured quietly seemingly to himself. He pushed her legs apart and moved, so he was in between them. She bit her lip again in expectation which elicited a chuckle from Thane. "We're not doing that tonight, Siha. I want to wait." He must have seen the disappointment in her eyes because he kissed her deeply to soften the blow while his fingers deftly undid her zipper.

"Thane?" He smiled mischievously, and she ground her hips against him in protest.

"Patience, Siha," he chastised teasingly.

Pushing his hand into her pants, he rubbed against her clitoris. Ali gasped and moved her hips into him. "You are all ready so wet, Siha. What have you been thinking about?"

"Only you, Thane." He smiled taking her breath away and removed her pants without preamble. She squealed when her bare skin touched the cool metal floor.

"Hush, we don't want to attract unneeded attention," he whispered kissing her chastely. Ali nodded.

"Of course, we wouldn't want that," she joked lightly.

"Good girl." He pulled her panties off and parted her legs further. All at once, his fingers were inside her, and she gasped her eyes closing as her head titled back.

Slowly he pulled them out and licked his fingers. "You taste incredible," he murmured before leaning down and running his tongue in a circle around her sensitive nub.

"Ah," she cried grabbing his head. He did it again causing her to dig her nails into his shoulders. The slight bite of pain caused him to growl lowly, and he inserted his fused fingers again. He took no prisoners as he teased her into a tense ball of moans and gasps. For the first time in a long time, Ali didn't have to worry about what someone thought of her. She also didn't have to think about what to do with her team. It was one of the things only Thane could do to her. He made her live in the moment. Instead of the stressed out leader of an elite task force, Ali was just Ali. And that was how he made her so happy. With that thought, she came, and though she tried to keep quiet, she screamed before Thane could silence her with a deep kiss.

"Siha, you are so beautiful," he murmured against her lips. He pulled her into his arms and sat on the cot until she had ridden out the aftershocks.


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's Note: Look! It's posted on the correct day! Yay for me. Anyways, I wanted to shout out to all of you who have been saying such nice things about my story in your reviews. Thank you so much! Enjoy the chapter and please review**

* * *

"Wow," was all she could say when the trembling stopped. He chuckled his chest rumbling.

"Are you satisfied?" he asked against her neck where he was gently nibbling. She mumbled something that might have been a word, but it was unintelligible. He laughed, a full blown, head thrown back laugh that she had never heard before. Ali glanced up at him in shock then smiled. When she shivered slightly against the cold, he sobered enough to wrap his jacket around her shoulders. "Are you too cold?"

"No, I'm fine." She pressed a hand against his cheek and ran her nose along his. "I would like to hear that laugh more often though."

"You bring it out of me, Siha."

"I love you."

"And I you, more than you know." He affectionately nipped her shoulder making her giggle.

"Is that a Drell thing?" Ali asked. Thane cocked his head in confusion then looked down at the small red mark on her shoulder.

"Drell sex is very rough. Because of our toughened skin, what would hurt you wouldn't hurt me. I hold back a great deal when I am with you."

"You don't have to worry about hurting me, Thane. I don't want to be the reason that you don't enjoy yourself."

"No, you misunderstand. I just have to remind myself that you are a little more fragile than I am," Thane elaborated running his lips along her neck behind her ear.

"This coming from the person who was until recently terminally ill," she laughed.

"It is a little ironic, is it not?"

"I have come away from liaisons with bruises and scratches and with a grin on my face." His brow furrowed, and he ran a finger down her arm.

"I would never want to be the cause of marking your skin in any of those ways."

"In case you hadn't noticed, I have my fair share of scars." His finger traced one of the worse ones on her shoulder blade then moved to one on her side.

"And what I wouldn't give to personally send the people who gave you these to the sea," he growled menacingly. She found herself smiling goofily at him, and she grabbed his face forcing him to look into her eyes.

"Now, now, I can't have you taking out a personal vendetta against everyone who attacks me. I do this for a living."

"I don't want you getting yourself hurt by doing those heroics with a Reaper. From now on, you're going to act like all the other people on the crew. You're not a superhero. You're not untouchable. Bullets tear through you just like everyone else. You could die just as easily as anyone else on this ship."

With a sigh, Ali unbuckled his vest sliding it off his shoulders. "You worry too much, Thane," she muttered. His eyes narrowed in confusion. Ali raked her fingernails down his chest focusing around the sensitive stripes on his torso. He sucked in a breath and closed his eyes seemingly forgetting that he was in the middle of scolding her. "You're right. Your skin is very tough. That would have left marks on a human." Leaning forward she pressed a light kiss against his chest, and she pushed him slightly backwards to allow herself better access to his chest and abdomen.

"You are insatiable, Siha." Glancing up at him, she continued lower and teased the hem of his pants with her teeth.

"I'm not going any farther. You got to explore. Now it's my turn." A smile turned up the corners of his lips as he leaned back against the cot. Sliding her arms through the sleeves of his jacket, she tucked her hair behind her ears and trailed her fingers lightly over the black stripes on his abdomen. Then she moved to the more sensitive pink colored ones. When he sucked in a breath, she knew she had hit a sweet spot, and she dug her nails in. He hissed through his teeth burying his hands in her hair.

"Siha," he groaned. "I don't know if I can control myself if you go any further."

Ali glanced up at him and closed her eyes in pleasure when he tightened his hand in her hair. "I don't want to hurt you," he warned.

"You won't," she told him kissing his open lips and sitting back to see his reaction.

"Maybe you should do some research before you ask me to let myself go," he suggested slowly not breaking eye contact with her. She nodded looking slightly disappointed, and he trailed a finger down her cheek.

"So you want me to watch Drell porn, is what you're saying?" she asked slowly. He smiled mostly to himself.

"You don't have to alone."

"I never thought you were that type," she teased her eyebrows shooting up at the idea.

"I'm not, but I am willing to do anything to make this work. To meet your needs."

"It's not my needs that need to be satiated. I am afraid that you will grow to resent me if I can't give you what you need." His brow furrowed.

"No, don't even think that, Siha. The human way of making love is very intriguing. It could never bore me." There was a silence as they just stared at each other.

"Can we go to bed, Thane?"

"Is your shoulder okay?"

"Yes, it's fine. You, on the other hand, are exhausting." He chuckled lying back on the cot and taking her with him.

"I will have to get a bigger cot, Siha, if you plan on making this a nightly occurrence," he murmured kissing her hair. She smiled snuggling into his chest.

"I'm not hurting you, am I?"

"No, since the cure, my lungs have been working better than ever. Your body weight isn't going to do anything to hurt me." She giggled running her nose up and down his sternum. He hummed causing the normal vibration in his chest which she loved.

* * *

When Shepard had to go to the Citadel to buy supplies, Thane and Ali took the time to go to her apartment to have some time to themselves. They had to be back two days from then, so Shepard would have enough time to do what he needed to do. She was fuzzy on the details. For the last several days, she was caught up in her own haze that revolved around Thane and not the Reaper threat.

"You really don't have to cook me anything, Siha," Thane called from the living room.

"I want to though. Plus we might need something to distract us from lust when we start watching these vids." She heard his light chuckle and found herself grinning that dumb grin she had had plastered on her face for several days now. She plated the food and went into the living room setting the plates down on the coffee table. "You can eat the same food as me, right? I didn't think to ask."

"Yes, Siha, I am not a Turian or a quarian." He had that same smile on his lips that she probably had.

"Okay, let's get to work then," she said sitting down and breaking apart her chopsticks.

"What is this?"

"You've never had stir fry with noodles before?

"No, I haven't."

"It's great. Eat up." She watched as he hesitantly took a bite. His eyes widened slightly, and he continued eating at a fast rate. She pressed her lips together trying to hide her smile.

"This is incredible, Siha. Do you have more?" he asked when he finished a minute later.

"Yes, let me get some." She rose taking his plate from him and went to the kitchen to pile more onto his plate. When she came back into the living room, he was typing into her private terminal. He looked up, and his eyes were heated making her press her thighs together. Sitting down next to him, she handed him the plate and took up her own.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Ali? You don't have to for me."

"I'm not doing it for you. I'm doing it for myself." She leaned back and started eating as he finished typing into the terminal. A vid screen popped up, and he pushed play. Giving her a guarded look, he leaned back too. The vid started like most porn, with bad music and a worse storyline though she didn't understand the latter. For humans, it was usually a repairman, plumber, or a masseuse. This was different. It seemed like it was actually between two lovers.

Drell women were different from humans. No breasts for one thing. They didn't really kiss either. "They're not kissing because of the toxins, right?" she asked quietly not looking at him.

"Correct, Drell show affection in different ways like rubbing their noses together or nipping exposed skin," he explained. She glanced at him before nodding. There was a lot of growling and guttural vibrations probably more that her ears couldn't hear because it was in too low a register. The Drell male was a darker color than Thane, and he had red stripes instead of black. The female was lighter, much lighter in yellows and pinks.

Ali's eyes widened and Thane stopped the vid after it was done. "Are you all right, Siha?" She nodded mutely. "This isn't what it usually looks like. This couple was probably not actual lovers. I have never been this rough. I just wanted to show you one of the worse ones." _No shit that was rough. I swear they lost like a pint of blood between the two of them._

"How rough do you get?"

"Biting, scratching, pinning, Drell don't have hair but every time I see yours I want to pull it" he listed.

"It doesn't sound that bad, Thane. That was something else. They reminded me of animals mating." A smile touched his lips.

"Aren't we all animals?" She shot him a look.

"Only wild animals draw blood like that, Thane. I am all right with bruises and scratches that draw blood and even biting and pinning, but that was something entirely different." He shook his head with a look on his face that reminded her of scolding a petulant child.

"This is the way my people have sex."

"What about making love?" Even as the words left her mouth, she knew it sounded a little pathetic.

"I am afraid that is not a Drell mindset. You introduced it to me when we were at that hotel on Thessia. Also on the frigate. I imagined taking you how I had taken other women, and I just couldn't. You're different." Ali couldn't think of anything to say. He had never told her about this before. "You were so soft, so gentle. I couldn't even think of being rough with you." He ran a finger down her arm looking up at her with pleading eyes. She found herself smiling softly at him.

"And what you say if I told you that parts of that vid actually turned me on? You know between the mauling parts."

"Really?" She nodded slowly, and suddenly, he lifted her up and laid her down underneath him.

Kissing her passionately, Thane grabbed her hair pulling her head back sharply. "Ah," she moaned running her hands along his fringe. She proceeded to rip off his jacket and vest. He helped her take them off, and they fell to the floor. Smiling he kissed her yanking on her mane of orange hair again, and she dug her nails into his back. Growling lowly in the back of his throat, he hooked both her legs around his waist.

"Please, I need you, now," she begged breathily. _Lame._

"No, Ali, I want to wait." All his muscles were tense which told her he was holding himself back.

"Parts of you don't agree," she whispered suggestively rolling her hips against his hard cock. He sucked in a breath and put a hand on her hips to pin them down.

"That is not to be trusted. It always goes against the rules where you are concerned," he said with a small smile.

"Maybe that's the only smart part of your body." He arched an eyebrow ridge.

"Are you alluding to my stupidity?"

"I wouldn't dream of it, Sere Krios." She mirrored his expression. A smile turned up the corners of his lips.

"Why do you want to wait, Thane?" Ali asked. Her entire body was quivering almost imperceptibly, and she knew she was all ready wet. He tended to have that effect on her, and he had barely touched her.

"The last time we made love it was a brash decision. We were frightened of dying, and it was the only way to relieve the stress of our situation."

"I didn't do it because I was scared to die. I slept with you because I love you." The purr resonated through his chest, and his eyes closed. She put a hand on his cheek, and he leaned into it.

"You don't know how happy that makes me, Siha." He ran his nose along hers. "Is it all right if we just lie here together? I really just want to hold you after not being with you for so long." She started to giggle, and like a dam, it just flooded out of her. She was giggling uncontrollably holding her sides like she was keeping herself together. He stared at her confusion clouding his eyes.

"I'm sorry," she gasped wiping the tears from her eyes.

"What did I say to humor you?"

"Nothing, you just sounded like a girl." He cocked his head. "It must be a human thing," she mumbled breaking eye contact.

"Tell me," he growled threateningly grabbing her chin and forcing her to look at him.

"Human guys always accuse women of not putting out. They claim that woman only want to cuddle or spoon." His brow furrowed.

"Really?" She nodded. He looked away into the distance, then all of a sudden, he picked her up causing her to squeal in surprise.

Wrapping her arms around his neck pressing her face into his neck, she flicked his fringe with her tongue eliciting a hiss. Ali traced the inner edge of the fringe and flicked it again only to be interrupted by him throwing her onto the bed. She bounced and looked up at him through her hair. He crawled over the mattress towards her, and she watched his muscles flex and bunch under his scales. "Thane, all this teasing it driving me nuts," she groaned as he leaned on his elbow next to her.

"I just want it to feel like it's right, Siha."

"And what's wrong with now?"

"Please, Ali. Can't you wait a little longer?" he asked. "It's been over twenty years." She sighed and nodded. Thane let out a relieved breath and leaned over her. "Thank you," he murmured into her ear before kissing her passionately.

She moaned into his mouth pulling him closer then running her hands down the sensitive stripes on his sides. He trembled under her touch then rolled her onto her side positioning himself behind her. She giggled shaking her head and backed up into him. He pulled her hair over her shoulder and nipped it gently then wrapped an arm around her. Ali hugged the arm to her chest and smiled to herself. Maybe she wasn't one of the girls who would pick cuddling over sex, but she could see the appeal and wasn't about to give up the time with the man she loved. "I love you," he whispered into her ear kissing the soft spot behind it.

"I love you, Thane."

* * *

Ali's eyes flickered open, and she met Thane's. He was stretched out beside her with his head propped up on his hand. "Siha," he murmured. Grinning at him, she pressed her lips to his in a chaste kiss. She groaned and stretched pointing her toes and pushing her palms against the head board. _I will never understand how incredible stretching feels especially in the morning._ His eyes shined with humor as she tried to get her curls under some semblance of control and finally gave up grabbing a hair band from a drawer in her bedside table and taming it into a messy bun.

"How long were you watching me?"

"Just a little while."

"Do you want breakfast?" He smiled sheepishly. "Breakfast it is then." She got out of bed and rummaged in their collective bag pulling off her own clothes and taking out one of his loose linen shirts pulling it on. It stopped about mid thigh and was closed except for a V in the neck. She glanced at the Drell who was looking at her with a dark, heated look. Biting her lip, she tucked her hair behind her ear. He raised a hand reaching out for her. The sheets were tousled around his body, but he was still wearing his pants taking away from the effect slightly. But his feet were bare which drew her eyes. _Hm, Thane's naked feet. Why is that so sexy?_ She took a step forward, and he grabbed her around the waist yanking her onto the bed.

"Why did you do that?" he growled.

"My clothes were uncomfortable. In case you hadn't noticed, I slept in all of them last night."

"Maybe I will let you wear my shirts more often. It's very becoming."

"Do you want food or not?" she asked with false severity.

"Yes, I do." He pouted slightly, and Ali's blood heated. _How does he do that?_

"Then let me up," she squeaked trying to ignore how hot he was. He smiled one of his rare full-on smiles before letting her get up. She shook her head and walked out of the room towards the kitchen opening the refrigerator and looking at what she had. Deciding on making an omelet, she took out eggs, cheese, ham, and bacon laying them out on the counter next to the stove.

Thane walked into the living room wearing only loose cotton pants that hung low on his hips exposing the sexy V that she loved so much. He sat down at the breakfast bar picking up a data pad and skimming through the news. Ali was suddenly struck by how strange it was to have him in her apartment in such a domestic way. She froze just staring at him for several moments before shaking her head and continuing with breakfast. A few minutes later, she put down the plated omelet on the counter in front of the Drell with a flourish. "Ta-da," she announced grinning at him. She turned and started on her own omelet. He grabbed the fork from the plate and cut a piece off the whole and popped it into his mouth. Chewing thoroughly before swallowing, he smiled and looked up at Ali.

"What is this?" he asked. She turned toward him.

"It's an omelet." When he cocked his head, she chuckled. "Eggs, cheese, ham, bacon, ringing a bell?" She sat down in the chair next to him with her own and started eating.

"We must not have them on Kahje. I mean, we have eggs, but they're fish eggs usually since the planet is ninety-five percent water. We don't have bacon or ham though. And definitely not cheese."

"You poor deprived baby," she said teasingly. He chuckled and took his last bite of omelet. He looked up at her through what would have been his eyelashes if he had any. "Do you want more?"

"Please." She laughed then got up to go to the fridge and grab more food. "I must make you a dish from Kahje or Rakhana sometime."

"That would be nice, but I don't think we will get a chance like this until after the fight with the Reapers. Well, or the end of the galaxy. It's really a tossup."

In a breath, Thane had his arms around her waist and pulled her against his chest. "Don't talk like that, Siha," he murmured. He kissed the spot behind her ear.

"I am only being realistic, Thane. The odds of winning are slim at best." His arms tightened possessively, and an angry rumble spread through his chest.

"Please, Ali." She turned in his arms and wrapped her arms around his neck running her nose along his making him smile sadly.

"I'm sorry. I'm letting it get to me when it shouldn't be. I'm just-" she paused looking for the right words while he waited patiently. "I'm just afraid of losing you."

"You're not going to." Ali looked away, and Thane grabbed her chin forcing her to look at him. "Siha, you brought me back from the dead once. I'm not going anywhere." When she looked up at him through her lashes, he gently wiped the lone tear from her cheek. She reached up and kissed him softly.

"Oh, Thane, I love you more than words."

"I know. I feel the same way about you."

The remainder of the day was spent with them on the couch. Thane was lying with his head on her thighs as they talked about things that didn't matter for the rest of the day. They laughed with each other forgetting for a few precious hours what awaited them in the not so distant future. When it was time to go, Ali closed down her apartment for what she felt like might be the last time and left a message with Bailey telling him that it was nice working with him.

* * *

They walked hand in hand through the Citadel making their way towards the docks. When they got to the Normandy, Vega was leaning against the wall by the door. "Pan, how was your night?" he called paying special attention to their clasped hands.

"It was great. Where did you spend your night, Vega?"

"Purgatory of course," he laughed pushing off from the wall and following them through the door. "Krios," he greeted nodding at the Drell.

"Mr. Vega."

"We haven't talked much. I hear you are a hell of an assassin."

"He's the best," Ali said smiling up at him. Thane shook his head.

"Hardly, I was on Shepard's team when he took out the Collectors though."

"It's nice to officially meet you, Krios."

"Likewise, Mr. Vega."

"Just call me James. If we're going to die together, we might as well be on a first name basis."

"Indeed."

"Guys are so weird," Ali muttered letting go of Thane's hand and entering the Normandy's airlock. James snorted from behind her.

"Men. What about you lot, Pan?" She glanced over her shoulder at Thane who was smiling affectionately after her.


	16. Chapter 16

Ali was on her bedroll in the shuttle bay. She couldn't sleep and was just staring at the ceiling. With a sigh, she rolled over and dropped down to the floor making her way to the elevator. James was sleeping in the crew's quarters, and Cortez was snoring softly from one of the shuttles. He had spent most of the stay at the Citadel at the memorial wall in the refugee area. She had run into him on a trip for food when they first arrived and had finally learned his story. It was sad knowing that his husband was killed so violently. She had always known that he had lost someone close to his heart, but she hadn't known the details.

Walking through the hall of the crew deck, she stood in front of the door to Life Support for a few moments before walking through the door. Thane was moving through some martial arts steps in only a pair of cotton pants. She felt her eyes widen, but she kept still wanting to let him finish before interrupting him. Unfortunately, as soon as the door hissed closed, he opened his eyes and spotted her. A smile crossed his lips, and he stood up straight. "Please don't stop on my behalf," she breathed. He raised his eyebrow ridges in surprise. "Finish the form," she prodded and sat down on top of his desk. Giving her a confused look, he dropped down into his stance and continued through the moves.

His movements were effortless, and the way he went through the rest of the form made him look like liquid flowing in a stream. His breathing was deep and even, and small beads of perspiration formed on his back and chest. Ali pulled her knees up and put her chin on them. He drew himself up to his full height moving his hands palms down from his chest to his lower abdomen. He opened his eyes and looked up at her cocking his head slightly. "Siha?"

"You are so incredible," she murmured smiling at him. He came towards her, and she let go of her knees and moved her legs to either side of his waist. He smiled shyly which made her have to catch her breath. _How are you mine?_ Thane cupped her face and pressed a chaste kiss to her lips. "You're like a fallen angel."

"A what?"

"A fallen angel. An angel that did one thing to get kicked out of paradise. Now you roam the galaxy trying to atone."

"You have quite the imagination, Siha." She grinned up at him knowing he was teasing her.

Glancing over at his cot, she was surprised to find a futon that was wider than the cot just big enough for two people to lay side by side. "When did you get that?"

"I ordered it when you were in the markets getting food. It was delivered to the Normandy before we got back." She stared at him and cocked her head. "Was it presumptuous of me?"

"Of course not. I find it hard to sleep without you beside me." A smile touched his lips, and he picked her up princess style laying her out on the bed. He stretched out beside her propping himself up on an elbow.

"Do you wish to sleep or talk?" he asked.

"We have a mission tomorrow. Maybe we should just sleep," she suggested hating that she was. He nodded.

"Agreed." Sliding beside him when he laid on his back, she draped an arm over his bare chest. He pushed her hair away from her face fanning it out behind her, and he gently tugged a strand, the corners of his mouth quirking up. She nuzzled against his neck and the sensitive red skin there. She felt the vibration start in his throat and spread to his chest as he purred in pleasure. "My Siha," he breathed. She smiled against him and closed her eyes almost immediately being carried away by sleep.

* * *

"Oh Thessia, how I have missed you," Ali muttered under her breath. The corners of Thane's lips turned up fractionally.

"I am taking Liara and Daniels with me," Shepard announced looking over the assembled team. The Drell's muscles tensed and his fists clenches. "We expect Kai Leng to be there, so Ali, I need your hand to hand skills." She nodded slightly.

"Thane, settle down. Leng can't know that you're alive. You know that," she breathed putting one of her hands over his fist.

"I don't want you going up against that bastard, Siha," he growled. His eyes were dead, and she caught her breath when she recognized his battle sleep. She squeezed his fist.

"Thane, no, come back to me."

"Daniels, we meet in the shuttle bay in fifteen minutes," Shepard interrupted. She nodded again, and the two stayed seated until everyone emptied the room.

When they were alone, Ali moved in front of Thane taking his face in her hands. "Thane, I am not going to let anything happen to myself, and neither will Shepard. I will always come back to you," she whispered. Slowly his eyes unclouded, and he looked up at her.

"How do you know that, Siha?" he asked quietly. Smiling softly at him, she pressed a chaste kiss to his lips.

"I always do. No matter how hard we try to stay away from each other. We're always drawn back to one another. What were the chances of meeting in the enormous population of the Citadel? I came to you on Kahje after Irikah died. Then again on Illium when _you_ were so ready to die. You broke my heart that day, Thane. Seeing you like that was so scary. You terrified me. But when I saw you walk out of that tower, I was so happy. When you came to the Citadel after Shepard was arrested, I made sure to have your identity totally scrubbed from the system just in case there was someone with a vendetta."

"Siha, I had no idea."

"I know." Tears were filling his eyes, and her heart broke knowing she was the cause. "No, Thane, don't. I chose to live the life I have. I regret nothing. Everything happens for a reason."

Thane got to his feet and walked away from her. When he turned, there were tears trailing down his face. "I am afraid, Siha. I have faced death with open arms but now I have something to live for. I have you. Thinking of living without you makes a chill settle in my gut. I have been prepared for my own death for a long time. But thinking of your death. It's unbearable." Ali wrapped her arms around him making him stop talking. He entwined his fingers in his hair and inhaled her scent. It was like his own drug. "Siha, I-" he began before she silence him with a kiss. Pressing her fingers to his lips to keep him quiet, she just stared into his dark eyes. But of course when it counted, she couldn't think of anything to say. He lowered his forehead to her shoulder and ran his teeth across the bone through her shirt. Ali couldn't stop herself from nuzzling his neck, and he tensed slightly when she hit the sensitive red folds under his fringe. "I apologize. I shouldn't have laid all that on you right before a mission."

"It's okay, Thane. I need to know how you are feeling. Even after over twenty years, I can't read your mind."

"Imagine that," he said with a small smirk.

"But you are much better at reading my mind, so you are welcome to do it now."

"I can't be to blame if all your emotions are always written on your face, Siha."

"Mm, bite me, Krios," she joked. His eyes lit up with a mischievous gleam before she turned to leave and put on her armor.

Ali attached her sheath to her lower back and slid the knife in. Her hair was up in a low side pony tail with her bangs loose around her jaw line, and her weapons were all ready in their slots. She took a deep breath separating everything that made her emotional and locking it in a box in the back of her mind. When she opened her eyes, they were dead, only focused on the fight before her. "Pan?" Vega asked waving a hand in front of her face. Her eyes shot to his face immediately assessing danger level.

"What do you need, James?" she asked lowly, emotionlessly.

"I have your ear piece. You said that yours was on the fritz. Here is mine. Since I am not on the ground team, we can trade." Ali glanced at the earpiece in his hand then took her out and put the other in.

"Thank you." She just said it to be polite, and James could tell.

"This thing you do is creepy, Pan."

"It heightens my senses and makes my reaction time faster. It's my conditioned way of focusing on the mission. I need everything I can get in this fight with Kai Leng."

"Yeah, good luck, Pan. Come back safe. Not just for me but for Thane too."

"I plan to." She turned her back on him and walked purposefully towards the shuttle.

"Siha," Thane breathed. Turning her head slightly so she could see him in her peripherals, she stopped in her tracks. "Just promise me that you'll come back to me."

"I can't promise that. But I can promise that I will try, and I will take that bastard with me if I can't." Thane's eyes hardened ever so slightly, and she knew he was trying to shut off his own emotions. "I love you."

"I love you, Siha." She nodded with a small forced smile and got into the shuttle.

* * *

Thessia was in ruins. The Asari were trying to set up an offensive, but they were being struck down at every turn. Ali looked around when she got out of the shuttle taking the destruction and the number of hostiles in the area. Her arms were shaking with the need to be the first to draw blood, but she held herself at bay. A part of her would always be bloodthirsty, and it was her job to keep it controlled. She glanced back at Liara who just looked shell shocked. "My world is gone," she breathed.

"Dr. T'Soni, keep your head on straight. Use the anger and despair you are feeling now against the Reapers. We still have to get to the temple." The Asari looked at her and nodded though the hurt was still apparent in her eyes. Shepard jumped up to the turret and started striking down brutes and husks on the bridge while Liara helped with the barrier, and Ali sniped at oncoming husks that the commander missed.

Once the wave was decimated, Shepard asked the Asari commander to help them get to the temple. She refused of course. What commander with overwhelming losses wouldn't? But somehow Shepard got her to agree after some cudgeling. They made their way through Reaper swarms of husks, cannibals, marauders, harvesters, and banshees. Ali stayed focused on the next enemy in front of her not sparing any mercy for what it could have been in a past life. It was the only way to make it through alive. It was the only way to get the people with her through alive.

Before them was the Athame temple and it was beautiful. The perpetual design of the Asari. It took her breath away. They started searching for the artifact going through them one by one when finally Shepard felt the Prothean beacon at the feet of the Athame statue. Ali didn't pay much attention to what the computer was saying. When she saw the bodies of the Asari scientists, she knew Kai Leng was close by, and he wasn't sneaking up behind Shepard. Then he was there. The man who almost killed her lover. The man who wouldn't get away again unless she was dead. Shepard talked to the Illusive Man, but Ali couldn't hear anything over the roaring in her ears. He was pacing back and forth waiting for the Illusive Man to finish with Shepard. "Leng, Shepard has something I want. Take it away from him."

"Understood." Ali felt herself smile at the thought of the coming battle. If she couldn't win against some upgraded assassin, then she didn't deserve to kill any Reapers.

They clashed in mid air. His sword struck her knife which was positioned right next to her skin. The two jumped away from each other and assessed any weaknesses. She smiled again. "Nice to see you again, Leng. You left without saying goodbye last time. Are you planning on running like a little girl again?" she taunted. He scowled at her then leapt at her again.

Ali flipped blocking his sword and kicking him in the shoulder blades. He pitched forward, and she roundhouse kicked him in the face. He grunted and swung his sword in a practiced arc which she blocked then threw a punch. His face plate cracked under the force of her hit, but he tossed her aside with his kinetic barrier. She hit a column hard and fell to the ground her armor taking most of the force, and she got back to her feet. "You have to do better than that."

"Your friend Thane died like a coward," he barked at her. Her blood went cold as the words sunk in, then it boiled with anger. She screamed and attacked in a fury.

With every blow she felt the skin being split off her knuckles making them a bloody pulp. But right then, she wanted to destroy the man she was fighting with a passion. That was when the gunship came into view. She threw herself away from Kai Leng rolling into cover but not before her shields were taken down, and she took a bullet to the shoulder. Ali shook off the pain as Leng recharged his shields. As soon as the gunship turned away, she was out in the open engaged with Leng before Shepard could even get a shot off. He fought hard that much she had to give him, but his weakness was that he thought he was better than everyone because of his modifications.

Taking an elbow to the face, Ali's world spun for a split second which was enough for Leng to find his foothold. He repulsed her with his kinetic barrier following with a punch to her ribs cracking many of them. She blocked his kill stroke with her forearm misjudging his arc and wincing as it went through her armor into her skin. She swept his legs out from under him and blinked when he disappeared. Closing her eyes, she listened for any out of place sounds. Liara and Shepard were making a lot of noise scuttling around trying to find Leng. "Stay still you two and keep quiet," she barked. Footsteps to her right alerted her to his presence, and she ran her knife through his cloaking device. Leng appeared in front of her grimacing as he pulled her knife out of his arm. He hurled it at her unexpectantly. She dodged barely and missed his movement in towards her. His sword went through her shoulder before a scream ripped through her. Using what little sense she could gather, she kicked him away from her, and she heard a few of his ribs crack. The pain was almost blinding seeming to come from everywhere at once, her shoulder, her ribs, her head. The gunship came out of nowhere again, and she barely fell behind cover before the bullets ripped through the air. She ripped the sword out of her shoulder grunting in pain.

Taking the small rest to her advantage, she emptied her mind again. Joints were the only thing she had to see now. "Did I hit a nerve? I know you, you know? You're one of those flunkies raised in the Facility in Canada." Ali glanced over the barricade and was rewarded by a spray of bullets. "You all are pathetic, and I am glad the Alliance saw fit to destroy all of you." The gunship flew away again, and Ali charged using his own sword against him. He blocked most of her attacks though blood was pouring down his arms, and she got in a few good swipes to his chest and abdomen. He knocked his sword out of her hands, and it landed several feet away blade down in the floor. Ali kicked him hard in the knee that was locked in its position. There was a sickening crunch, and it gave way under his weight. Leng backhanded her across the face. She tasted blood and knew he had split her cheek with his gauntlet, and she fell to the floor her head fuzzy. Without missing a beat, she rolled backwards away from him and to her feet. He struggled to his feet not putting much weight on that knee she destroyed. She ran at him, and he raised a hand to defend himself. She changed her path letting the fist skate through her hands until she met his shoulder which she dislocated with no effort. He grunted. "The columns, go for the columns," he yelled The gunship came into view, and Ali turned to run. "And destroy her," he added. The first two missiles went past her hitting the columns on either side. The third went right for her, and she threw herself into a roll.

When the dust settled and Kai Leng had taken the data and left, Liara helped Shepard from where he almost fell into the abyss. They both looked around the rubble trying to find Ali. "Daniels," Shepard called.

"That last missile looked like it hit her. She would not have survived, John," Liara said looking over at him. He shook his head refusing to accept that after her amazing display with Leng she would be killed by a mere missile.

"We have to find her. To at least confirm that she is dead."

"We don't have much time, Shepard. The Reapers are going to be here sooner or later."

"That means we need to get out of here," Ali managed as she climbed over the rubble towards the pair of them. She held her arm close to her side trying not to move her shoulder. Burning pain was radiating from the stab wound and the gunshot making it hard to concentrate on anything except the next step she had to take. Some of her skin was burned and painful.

"Daniels, are you all right?" He rushed up to her when he saw that she was swaying dangerously. He wrapped her uninjured arm around his shoulder trying to support her weight, but she seemed not to be able to walk. Without a hesitation, he picked her up and started walking over the rubble. She laid her head on his shoulder not able to keep it up anymore. "Liara, come on. We need to get her to the doctor."

"Of course, John, we should hurry. She doesn't look like she is in good shape." Ali gasped for breath and coughed moving her head trying not to get blood on the Commander.

"Hang on, Ali. I'll get you out of here and back to the Normandy," he murmured in her ear. This was the first time she had actually heard soft words from him, and she found that when he was nice he could actually be all right.

* * *

**Author's Note: Hope you enjoy the weekend. Please Review**


	17. Chapter 17

"Siha," Thane said eyes widening in shock as he saw her in Shepard's arms.

"Thane, you should take her," Shepard said gently letting the Drell take Ali out of his arms. She was covered in blood: hers and Leng's. His breath caught and he froze not knowing what to do. Her eyes were both filled with blood from concussive damage, and she was obviously having trouble breathing. The arm cradled up against his chest was oozing so much blood, he was amazed she was still conscious. Half her face was burnt along with her arms, and most of her armor was smoking subtly. As far as he could tell, all the damage was from what looked like an explosion. Her knuckles looked like hamburger, her cheek was split open, and her shoulder had a gunshot wound as well as a stab wound. He found that he was filled with anger towards everyone in the room including himself and Ali, but he needed to focus on saving her life before he laid blame on anyone.

"Thane, we need to get her to Chakwas." He looked at Shepard thankfully.

"Hey," she murmured. She could barely keep her eyes open, but she knew that as soon as she lost consciousness, her chances of survival lessened.

"You came back."

"I did promise to try," she managed before coughing up blood which ran out of the corner of her mouth. It was hard to rip his attention from her face and glare up at the commander.

"What happened to Leng?" Thane demanded of Shepard.

"He got away. I can tell you that it's going to take him a while to recover unless the Illusive Man can heal him through the Reapers. I am not really sure how that all works. She cut him up pretty good with his own sword, broke quite a few of his ribs, dislocated his shoulder, and destroyed his knee. And that was all I could see. The whole fight was such a blur, it was almost impossible to tell who had the upper end at times."

"That's my girl," Thane murmured. Ali had rested her head on his shoulder fighting to keep her eyes open. The elevator arrived on the crew deck, and the Drell wasted no time heading towards the med bay.

"I will check in on her status after I talk to the Asari councilor." He turned his head fractionally and nodded back at the human.

"Put her on the table. I need to start working on her now, and I could use your assistance, Thane." The doctor proceeded to scan Ali with her omni tool to get a full assessment of her injuries while Thane pulled on surgical gloves and pulled the tray over to the table. Ali turned onto her side and coughed up more blood tremors of pain wracking her body. "Internal bleeding, broken bones, it looks like she barely escaped the blast."

"Will she be all right?"

"I don't know, Thane. She's in a bad way." Chakwas inserted an IV in her arm and started pumping her with fluids. "She obviously has blast lung, and it can't be treated. The best I can do is to treat her other injuries and try to stabilize her." Ali looked up at the doctor through a haze of pain and gave her a knowing look. She knew what blast lung was and how much of a chance she had of surviving it. Coughing again, she turned her head, a spray of blood splattered on the floor by the bed. Chakwas nodded subtly when the young woman looked back up at her trying to get a full breath into her ruined lungs.

Dr. Chakwas continued working on her primary and secondary injuries for hours with Thane and James assisting in any way they could. Ali had refused to be put down and was only given a mild anesthetic when Chakwas had to open her up to repair perforated organs and take out the gunship round in her shoulder. "Thane, James, hold her down. Hopefully she will lose consciousness before too long." He clamped his hands down on her upper body when Vega held down her legs. "I'm sorry, Ali, but this is going to hurt." She clenched her teeth closing her eyes in expectancy. Chakwas immediately cut into her abdomen right over her intestines. Ali screamed as the pain shot up her body and white lightning shot across her vision. The pain was too intense, and she lost consciousness. "Good, I was afraid she was going to stay conscious during the rest of this." She walked over to a drawer and took out a bottle and syringe. She injected it into the IV and went back to work closing her perforated organs. When all the serious injuries were treated as much as they could be, she started work on her tertiary and quaternary injuries like setting broken bones and treating burns.

* * *

An hour later, Chakwas put all her instruments into disinfectant and pulled off her gloves. "She's not out of the woods yet. We will know after twenty-four hours. Right now, it doesn't look good, but she is tough and very strong. I have hope. I am going to keep her under for at least forty-eight hours to be on the safe side."

"Thank you, doctor. Is it all right if I stay here with her?"

"As long as you don't disturb her, I have no problem with it. But I suggest only one visitor at a time." Thane nodded and sat down next to the table. Ali had a white blanket draped over her body to hide her nakedness. He had a tinge of angry jealousy that Vega had seen her in her entirety, but the man had been here through the worst and for that he was thankful. Her injured shoulder was pinned to her side in a sling to ensure she didn't move it in her sleep. There was a bandage on the side of her face reminiscent of the one Garrus wore when he and Thane were last on the ship together. Her hands were wrapped in bandages that extended up to her elbows and were rich in medi-gel. Her left leg was in a brace that went from her ankle to her thigh. Every other injury was under the surface of her skin and were only apparent by the all consuming bruises that were rising to the surface.

"Do you mind if I step out? I need to hit my rack for a few winks," Vega asked after the doctor had left to eat.

"Not at all, your efforts are much appreciated, James. You have my thanks."

"Pan is a friend. There was no way I was going to let her face that alone. Shepard should have done more to help her fight Kai Leng. I don't know if you're interested, but he had a camera mounted on his helmet. There is footage of their fight."

"Yes, maybe I will look at it." Vega nodded with his lips pressed in a thin line and left the med bay.

Thane let out a breath when he left and looked at Ali. "Siha, you are going to be the death of me," he murmured. He took her hand entwining his fingers with hers as best he could with the bandages in the way and brought it to her lips. "You had better come back to me."

He sat in that position for hours before Ashley Williams stepped into the med bay. "Hey, I wanted to know how she was doing," she said walking over to the table.

"The doctor said that it would be touch and go for twenty-four hours, but she has hope that Ali will make it." Ashley smiled sadly.

"I know what it's like to be injured this badly. No one ever knowing if you'll survive or not. And Ali is a great person. We always have debates about the great old authors and poets. She's a great person, and I find myself a little more light hearted when she walks away."

"She has that effect on people."

"We're on our way to the Citadel for a few days, then it's Sanctuary on Horizon. It's the only way to find Cerberus. I thought you would like to know what's going on."

"My thanks, Miss Williams. She will appreciate that you visited." Ashley smiled sadly and left.

Much of the night went like that. One crew member visiting after another. Thane had had no idea that Ali affected them so much. He wasn't even aware that she had talked to them that much. Ali never ceased to amaze him, and he was gladdened that she had such a supportive circle in her time of need. Almost everyone offered to sit with her while he slept, but he refused every time saying that he could sleep just about anywhere. "It makes no difference whether I am sleeping on my cot or here in the med bay. But thank you for your concern." When the last of them left, he turned to Ali and swept her hair away from her face. Her face was starting to bruise making the injuries look even worse.

"Thane, would you mind getting her some clothes. It will keep her warmer than piling more blankets on her," Chakwas said when she walked in. She had been checking in every fifteen minutes since she had finished on Ali.

"Of course, Doctor. Do you have any apparel suggestions?"

"Nothing too tight and nothing that will take us a lot of maneuvering to get on. We don't want to aggravate anything further."

Thane bowed and left the med bay heading towards Life Support. He knew she had loose fitting pants for when they sparred or worked out together, but he had never seen her in a loose shirt. One of his own would have to suffice. He felt slightly strange looking through her clothes which she had recently moved to his room. It was like he was rummaging through something he shouldn't be. He pulled out the first pair of loose pants he found, and something fell out of the folds. He picked up the holo and froze when he saw the picture. It was of him. He was young probably around the time they had first met, and he was asleep. His hands were behind his head, and his lips were slightly parted. _She must have taken this when I was sleeping._ He put the holo down on his table and pulled one of his shirts out from beneath his futon. He neatly folded the clothes on his table and changed into something more comfortable. He had been wearing his leathers and armor, but since he was here, he changed into a dark red open necked shirt and black loose pants. When he put his hands on the pile of clothes, he froze and tightened his grip on the fabric. _Why did she keep that holo for so long? She didn't even have it out to see. Why did she have it?_ He resolved to ask her the questions when she woke up.

"Here are the clothes, doctor."

"Thank you, Thane. Would you like to do it or should I?" Thane paused staring at her. "Do you think your relationship with her is something that can be hidden from me? No old friend would be here holding her hand all night, Thane. Plus there's enough scuttlebutt about your two going around that some of it has to be true." He found himself smiling at the doctor.

"I will do it."

"Just try not to move her too much," Chakwas warned pushing a button on the window to frost it over. Thane nodded and removed the blanket from over Ali's body. He put on the pants first careful not to move her legs more than necessary and finding some difficulty in maneuvering around the brace. The missile had done a lot of concussive damage, and it appeared that Leng had barely touched her. The gunship had done almost all the damage except the broken ribs and minor cuts. He put the blanket back over her legs and gently lifted her upper body to put on the shirt. When he was finished, he sat back down beside her grabbing one of her hands and pulling it to his lips.

"Arashu, please bring her back to me."

* * *

_Thane opened his eyes to find himself on a beach. The trees around him had low hanging branches which blocked his view. He pushed them aside and saw a figure standing knee deep in the water. The waves climbed up the shore and washed back into the ocean sucking around her legs. His eyes traveled up from the water to her orange red hair. His breath caught in his throat. "Siha," he breathed moving towards her in great strides. Ali was looking out at the ocean in front of her oblivious to his presence. He stopped at the edge of the water not sure whether he should go further, but when she took a step forward, he lunged forward. Grabbing her elbow, he pulled her towards him pressing her against his chest. _

"_Thane?" she murmured. _

"_Ali, are you all right?" She turned towards him wrapping her arms around his neck. _

"_Of course I am. You're here."_

"_What are you doing here, Siha?"_

"_I was just enjoying the view. I've never had any occasion to go to the beach." She smiled faintly and grabbed his hands pulling him towards the shore. "Sit with me?"He nodded mutely and let her lead him to the grass on the edge of the shore. _

_Sitting down, she held out her hands beckoning him to join her. He couldn't resist her and took a spot behind her. She leaned against his chest as he wrapped his arms around her. Everything about this was very surreal. Everything was heightened: the feeling of her hair tickling his face, her scent surrounding and enveloping him, her skin on his. She started stroking his hand absentmindedly. "Thane."_

* * *

Thane opened his eyes slowly and blinked a few times before Ali's features came into focus. She was smiling sleepily down at him and stroking his cheek moving her fingers along the outer edge of his fringe. He started purring almost absently. "Ali?" he asked his eyebrow ridges furrowing.

"Thane," she murmured again. He got to his feet gently placing a hand on her cheek careful not to press on the bruises too hard.

"Thank the gods you are alive. I was so afraid, Siha," he whispered his voice trembling.

"Miss Daniels, you weren't supposed to wake up for another eighteen hours," Dr. Chakwas announced walking into the med bay.

"I'm sorry to be such a bother, Karen."

"How are you feeling?"

"I am really sore."

"That happens when you get blown up by a missile, Miss Daniels." Ali laughed then abruptly stopped clutching her ribs.

"Shit! That was below the belt, Doc." Chakwas scanned her with her omni tool.

"This is amazing. I have never seen anyone heal this fast. Your organs are almost completely healed now just mildly bruised. Even the perforations are gone. There are still a few hairline fractures here and there. Even your lung is healed. You know blast lung is the leading cause of death for people caught in explosions," she marveled looking over the results. "You should be completely healed in a few days tops. You may be a little sore after that, but medically you will be fine. " She gently started removing the brace on her left leg careful not to move it too much then prodded the bone making sure there was still no obvious breaks. Ali winced slightly, but the pain wasn't too bad. "I wouldn't recommend walking too much. Your pelvis was broken in many places from the concussion of the blast, and there are still a few fractures there. Plus there are a few in your tibia and femur, but I am taking off the brace since its only hairline fractures. Don't make me regret letting you leave the med bay, Miss Daniels. I am counting on you being better about injuries than Commander Shepard."

"Yes, ma'am. Thane wouldn't let me do anything anyway that much I can assure you of." Dr. Chakwas nodded sharply and started to unbind her arm from where it was against her body. She slowly moved her shoulder around listening for any grinding and feeling for any breaks, then she moved farther down her arm.

"Looks like it's the same story here. Now be careful with this right shoulder. If you recall, it was dislocated, stabbed, and shot. If you have any problems with it, let me know. I will have to do a more in depth scan because it might be because of scar tissue. You have a good deal of it all ready. So does the whole crew for that matter," she muttered under her breath. Ali had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing, and Thane covered his mouth to hide his own amused smile.

"Does that mean I can sleep in my own bed, Karen?" Thane glanced at Chakwas.

"I don't see a problem with that. As long as if anything changes in your condition, you come back here straight away."

"I promise. Cross my heart."

"Thane, will you make sure she keeps up her end of the bargain?"

"Of course."

"Then she is free to go. And mind you, I said to bed with the intention that you sleep. No sexual activities," she warned.

"I can't even think of doing that without wincing in pain. Plus, I am exhausted."

"You were blown up by a missile," Thane reminded her gently.


	18. Chapter 18

**Author's Note: I know. I suck. This week and weekend has been really busy. But I am putting two up today. Then we'll have another one on Friday like usual unless I get distracted. Oo, shiny!**

**Anyways, I have been working on Part 3 of this a little more. You are nearing the end of part 2. One thing that the fans didn't like about ME 3 was the lack of a super villain boss fight. ME had Saren and ME2 had the terminator. And ME3 had nothing though I do understand that Marauder Shields is one people like. If you don't know what I am talking about, look it up. It's not hard to find on YouTube. Part 3 ended a little like that as well, so I took the time to write in a big bad for Ali to face before she can live happily ever after (or will she?). So that's what I have been focusing on along with work and the new semester with a full load. **

**So I hope you enjoyed your long weekend. I know I did. Until the next time. Author out. **

* * *

Ali wanted to walk to Life Support on her own, but Thane insisted on carrying her. She wrapped her arms around his neck laying her head against his shoulder while he gently put his arms where the bruises were less dense. She still winced in pain which made him suck in a breath. "I'm sorry, Siha."

"It's okay," she murmured tiredly against his neck. When he got to his room, he tentatively laid her down on the futon. She frowned when she saw the holo still sitting on his table. He stretched her out flat on her back and took a step away watching her closely. "Why is that out?" she asked jerking her head towards the picture.

"When I was looking for your pants, it fell out of your bag. I apologize, I didn't mean to snoop." She winced while she adjusted her position on the bed and blinked at him a few times. "Why do you have it, and when did you take this picture?" She smiled sleepily.

"I would look at it when it was hard to find the strength to go on. When I was stuck behind a barricade with a bullet making its way through my body, I would remember what I was fighting for even if you didn't know it. And as for when, I took it one of the too few mornings after the Mr. Nabu thing. I wanted something to look at when I was away from you." His eyes clouded in pain, and he looked away. She attempted to sit up but couldn't before she clutched her side as pain exploded. He pushed her gently back onto her back.

"Please, don't injure yourself, Siha." She gasped for breath trying to numb the pain. When she opened her eyes, Thane was on his knees beside the bed, and he had one of her hands clutched in his. "It never occurred to me that you thought about me that much when I was elsewhere."

"I was always thinking about you, Thane." His eyes clouded with pain again.

"I don't deserve you." Her brow furrowed with apprehension, and she put a hand on his cheek.

"Thane, don't think that. Please, I love you. It's all in the past. Now is what matters." His fists tightened, and he started to tremble.

When he looked up at her, his eyes were etched with anger, and she caught her breath. Angry Thane always scared her, almost more than battle sleep Thane.

"He almost killed you," he breathed lowly. A ferocious growl came from the back of his throat, and Ali's eyes widened in terror. "Leng almost killed you. For that he will pay dearly." Taking a deep steadying breath, Ali forced herself to sit up through the pain. The anger disappeared as fast as it had come and was replaced with fear. She wrapped her arms around Thane's neck pulling him close. The usual smell of old leather and Thane filled her nose, and she breathed deep.

"Come to bed," she breathed.

"We can't do anything, Siha."

"I know. I just want to know you're here with me. You were the thing that kept me tethered here, Thane. Please, stay here with me." His dark eyes widened, and he joined her on the bed as she moved over to make room for him. She turned onto her side with the worse bruising and backed into his body. He put an arm around her, and she hugged it to her chest. "Thane."

"Yes, Siha?"

"Don't do anything rash." He kissed her behind her ear and pulled her hair away from her face.

"I swear it."

"Thank you," she breathed as she lost consciousness.

"It is not a promise that I will refrain from killing Leng though."

* * *

When Ali woke up in what she thought was the next morning but was almost a full day later, Thane was not beside her. She looked around the room and sat up. Her ribs still ached, but the pain was not blinding. She leaned up against the wall and closed her eyes trying to clear her head of general fuzziness. She had cottonmouth which made her swallow thickly. Thane walked in with a tray of food and a cup of water. "Good evening. How are you feeling?"

"Better, still pretty sore, but at least I am not dead." His brow furrowed momentarily before he picked up the cup and handed it to her. She smiled and took a welcome sip.

"I thought we could start with water and soup for now."

"You're not going to spoon feed me, are you?" He looked disappointed for a split second which made her giggle then immediately wish she didn't. "Ow," she complained.

"Yes, you almost died yesterday. You deserve it."

"Hardly, he got away."

"I watched the footage of your fight. You won. The only reason you were injured was because there was a gunship."

"Yeah, that was not very fair of him." He chuckled and took the lid off the bowl. He sat down on the futon across from her and dipped the spoon in. "What kind of soup is it?"

"I believe the can said chicken noodle. According the extranet, it is the soup of choice for sick or injured humans." He proffered the spoon, and she leaned forward to eat the soup. He smiled and put the spoon back into the bowl withdrawing it and sliding the bottom of it along the rim of the bowl.

"Where are we?" she asked. She had her arm across his chest and the top of her head under his chin. He was purring slightly.

"We're at the Citadel for a few more days. Shepard wanted to give you time to fully recover before we went to Sanctuary on Horizon. He's hoping that something there will lead us to Cerberus' base of operations."

"If you want, we can go to my apartment." He smiled faintly running a hand up and down her bare arm. She was still wearing his shirt and his scent clung to it.

"No, I don't want you walking around too much, Siha."

"I'm feeling better. Really I am." He turned onto his side propping himself on his elbow, and she looked up at him through her eyelashes as she moved to her stomach.

"We'll be alone on the ship. Everyone is all ready away on shore leave. It won't be that different from being at your place."

"My armor was destroyed when that missile hit. The only extra set I have is at my apartment."

"I have all ready obtained it."

"How?" Realization hit her. "Oh, yeah, never mind. Dumb question."

"Yes, I hope I didn't overstep my bounds." She sighed shaking her head in amusement.

"No, you didn't. You think of everything, don't you?" His lips quirked up at the corners. "Did you happen to ask the good doctor if I could take a shower?" He smiled again and nodded. "And?"

"She said that I need to remove your stitches first." Ali cocked an eyebrow. "She also showed me how."

"I really want to take a shower and get all this dried blood washed off. The sooner you can get them out, the better."

* * *

Once Thane had removed the stitches from her shoulder blade and side, Ali pulled back on his shirt glancing over her shoulder at him. "Are you going to join me?" she asked innocently. His eyes widened then darkened in a split second.

"I don't want to hurt you, Siha. Now less than ever."

"I know. I promise I won't do anything, Thane. I just don't want to let you out of my sight."

"Afraid I will disappear?" He stepped forward and tugged her chin making her look up at him when she didn't respond immediately. "I'm not going anywhere, Siha."

Kissing her chastely, he led her back to Life Support where he gathered what she would need to shower. He grabbed her hand again and went to the bathroom across the hall from Life Support. He started the water and put his hand under the stream to test the temperature. "Are you sure this isn't going to make your lungs act up?" she asked as an afterthought. He smiled warmly at her and shook his head.

"No, Siha, a little humidity isn't bad for my health. As far as Dr. Chakwas can tell, I am permanently cured of Kepral's. It can't come back." Her eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"Really?" she whispered. He grinned his rare full on face-splitting grins and wrapped an arm carefully around her waist.

"Yes, I am not leaving you any time soon. Kalahira couldn't rip me from your arms." Closing her eyes, she pressed her forehead against his chest.

"I am so happy," she breathed. "Even the Reapers don't seem to matter to me right now." His purr started in the back of his throat and spread through his chest vibrating against her forehead.

"Me too," he murmured breathing in her scent.

Pulling away from her, Thane grabbed the hem of her shirt and tugged it up and over her head. Her skin was still mottled with green and purple bruises, but she didn't seem to care. Not breaking eye contact, Ali stepped forward and took off his navy blue shirt sliding her hands up his abdomen and chest as she did. "I like that dark red shirt you were wearing last night. It made your coloring even more striking," she said pressing a kiss to his sternum. He smiled.

"I like that shirt as well. I actually have armor in that color and black as well." She looked up at him and cocked her head.

"How come I haven't seen it before?"

"I don't wear it very often."

"Why not?" He cocked his head also to match her expression.

"It's not a comfortable as the armor I usually wear."

Wrapping her arms around his waist, Ali ran her hands up his back feeling his muscles under his skin. His eyes closed briefly as he savored her touch. The room had become steamy, and Thane tugged off her pants kneeing in front of her. He put his hands on her hips and pulled her slightly to make her take a step forwards. Running his hands down her thighs, Thane trailed his mouth along her stomach keeping well away from the apex of her thighs. She rested her hands on the top of his head following the ridges on the top and sides. He looked up at her and smiled as he rose to stand in front of her. Ali hooked her thumbs in the hem of his pants and started to pull them down before he did it for her. "I don't want you straining yourself," he explained when she gave him a look.

"Bending over isn't going to break me," she muttered. He traced her lips with a finger before bringing them to his lips.

"Hush, Siha. Be still," he breathed against her lips. He absently put his hand under the shower head making sure it wasn't too hot before he backed Ali into the stream of water.

Picking up her soap bottle from the floor, Thane joined her under the water. Already her hair was hanging around her face in wet strands. He curled one around his finger bringing it to his lips before letting it drop. "I love your hair, Siha."

"And to think I was going to cut it all off." His eyes widened fractionally, and he gave her a warning look which made her smile at him. Ali kissed him running her hands down his chest and stopping at his abdomen. Thane squeezed some soap into his palm and worked it into a lather before resting his hands gently on her shoulders and running them down her arms. The dried blood came off easily, and the feel of her skin with soap on it was new to him. He moved his hands to her chest slowly moving them down to her stomach. Ali bit her lip not breaking eye contact with him.

"Turn around," he ordered quietly. Her eyes widened fractionally, but she did as she was told without question. Gathering her hair, he moved it over her shoulder before kissing it then scraping the same spot with his teeth eliciting a quiet whimper from her. He ran his sudsy hands down her back skimming over her bottom to her upper thighs. Slowly he kneeled and washed her legs. Achingly slow, he stood back up bringing his hands back up her legs. "You're skin is so beautiful."

"Except the scars," she muttered. Thane's eyebrow ridges furrowed slightly, and he bit her shoulder hard unable to stop himself causing her to squeak.

"Everything about you is beautiful, Siha," he growled into her ear. He turned her around, so she could look into his intense black eyes. He buried his hand in her hair tilting her head back in one swift pull, and he kissed her deeply. Their tongues tangled, each fighting for dominance until they both had to catch their breath.

"Is it my turn now?" she asked quietly looking up at him through her eyelashes.

"I want to do your hair first."

Thane poured shampoo into his hand working it into lather before gently working it into her hair. He started to rub focusing on her temples until it was worked enough in to his liking then he pushed her under the shower head tipping her head back. He squirted some conditioner into his hand next and started rubbing that in as well. He gently raked his nails into her scalp before massaging her entire head in slow circles. "Is there no bounds to how incredible you are, Thane?" she murmured. He chuckled softly pushing her into the water again and washing all the suds out of her hair.

Ali bent down taking up the soap putting some into her palm. She backed Thane against the wall and put both her hands on his chest running them down his torso to his abdomen then back up his sides over the sensitive stripes there. He sucked in a breath closing his eyes slightly. Taking a step closer, she slid her hands down his back cupping his behind before moving to his legs.

"Anything else you want to feel up, Ali," he teased gently. Biting her lip, she cocked her head to the side staring into his black eyes.

"Quite possibly, Sere Krios. If you hadn't noticed, you are the epitome of a male specimen." He chuckled softly mostly to himself like he was laughing at a private joke.

"Thank you, Siha."

"My pleasure."

"I am sure it is."

* * *

"You're bruises are fading fast," Thane murmured as he pulled the towel over her arm.

"Genetic modifications mean I heal pretty fast. Near death a couple days ago and almost no bruises today." When he finished drying off her legs, Ali pulled on a pair of loose fitting sweats and one of his shirts.

"I think you might be getting too comfortable in my shirts, Siha."

"Well, I like them. You will just have to get used to sharing." A smile touched his lips as he finished drying himself off.

* * *

"Stein, talk to me," she said as way of introduction. She had asked Shepard if she could use the communications room of the Normandy, and contrary to her expectation, he had said yes. Thane was asleep in Life Support where she had left him which gave her some time to talk to her second in command. Of course that meant going through her communications specialist.

"Nice, boss, very nice. No 'Why hello, Stein, how are you doing? It's been a few months since we last talked. Maybe you were worried about me, but you know, I am full of myself and don't care about anyone else.'"

"Wow, Stein, I didn't know you cared so much," she teased.

"Fuck, Ali, of course I do." Her eyebrows rose in surprise before she sighed mostly to herself.

"I'm sorry, Gerry."

"Jesus, you piss me off sometimes."

"That's my job. What's up?"

"Nothing much. We are still on location with the Crucible. Danny hasn't sent anyone onto the battlefield yet. He's too afraid they will be killed or worse."

"Good, can I talk to him?"

"Ali, are you sure you're okay? I am no medic, and this is a holo. But you are favoring your right side, your knuckles resemble hamburger, your face is still split open, and you look like you were put in a dryer you have so many bruises." She smiled and looked down at herself.

"Yeah, I'm a little worse for wear, aren't I? Don't worry about it, I heal pretty fast kinda like you do."

"Are you sure? I don't want you pushing yourself beyond your abilities. I know that you think you can handle anything, but you can't. Just let someone help you, is all I'm saying, okay? Can you do that for me, Ali?"

"I'll try my best, Gerry. I'll see you later."

"Of course, boss," he finished cutting off the feed before she could yell at him.

"Asshole," she muttered.

"I hope that wasn't meant for me," Danny said turning towards the holo camera with a datapad in his hand. Her second was a tall, well built blonde. And he was almost too good looking for his own good. He was wearing a black, tight wife beater on top of dark jeans. His well muscled arms showed her how much he hit the gym, and she should see his six pack through his thin shirt.

"Course not, Danny. How are the kids doing?" He smiled at her, one of those rakish smiles that would make a normal girl go weak at the knees. She had seen it a number of times, and she suspected he enjoyed his little super power.

"They're getting restless, Ali. I'm trying to keep them out of this fight for as long as possible. I don't want them dying on Palaven. I know that might sound a little racist of me."

"No, it doesn't. I know you, Danny. If it was Earth, you wouldn't want me dying there either. Have you been asked to send them to Earth to help the rebels?"

Yes," he admitted and nodded absentmindedly. "Ali, I just-I just don't know. I want to be in this fight, you know I do. I can't send our people into it though. I can't watch them die."

"Danny-"

"I know, I know." A small smile crossed her lips. "Ali?"

"Yeah?"

"Good luck. And please, come back. I know I was Mark's second and all. But you trusted me to be yours. That has always meant a lot to me. And I'm glad to have served under you. I just wanted to tell you that in case something goes wrong."

"It's been an honor having you as my right hand, Danny. You've been with me through all this, and I love you like a brother. If I don't get a chance to give a rousing speech before the shit hits the fan, give them a fucking good one for me, yeah?"

"Your wish is my command, boss."

"Fuck you." He gave her that grin again and shut down the call.

* * *

The shuttle bay had a good amount of gym equipment in it to keep the crew's nerves in check. Ali only really used the punching bag through. And since her shoulder was still a little stiff after being dislocated, she decided to work out the kinks. She didn't bother taping up her hands but just went at it. Her fists connected hard with the bag, and the sound echoed around the cargo bay. One punch after another until she felt the burning in her knuckles, then she would kick it a few times. Her shoulder slowly started to loosen after several minutes, and she didn't have to drop it as much to extent her punches all the way.

Images started flashing in front of her eyes, and soon, she was seeing red. She recognized Kai Leng as one of the predominant people along with Mark. The only one that surprised her was about her Handler from the Fac.

_Meri's Handler had gone too far this time. Ali had to do something about it. She cornered him after he beat the poor girl half to death. "What the fuck are you looking at, soldier?" he growled. _

"_Mer, get out of here," she told the girl who was a few years younger than she. Meri nodded and scrambled to her feet darting around Ali to the door of the supply closet. _

"_Thanks, Ali," she whispered. She nodded not breaking eye contact with the man in front of her. He had a sneer on his face, and his breaths were coming in short angry gasps. _

"_You forget your place, soldier."_

"_My place is between you and her." With a quick movement, he backhanded her in the face. Ali spit out blood and caught his arm easily breaking it in five places before letting him drop to the floor where he writhed in pain. _

"_Fuck you, you bitch," he spat before getting himself back to his feet. _

_All of a sudden, Ethan was at her side. "Marcus, I will take care of this," he said cooly. There was no emotion in his eyes as he put his hand on her shoulder. _Fuck. Now I am in trouble._ "Get yourself to medical." Marcus growled looking like he wasn't going to follow orders, but he thought better of it and staggered away nursing his arm. "Alisa."_

"_Sir," she answered not daring to try and defend herself. _

"_Close the door." Ali did as she was ordered and turned back to him with her hands respectfully behind her back._

"_Stand in front of me." Again, she did what he asked in a hurry not wanting to make him wait. _

_Out of nowhere came the blow she was expecting. Ali tumbled to the concrete floor before wiping the blood off her chin. "Get up." As soon as she stood up straight, he hit her again, this time splitting the skin right above her eye. It stung for a couple seconds, but she could tell it was already healing. This time she hadn't fallen over, and she stood up straight again ready to take her punishment with dignity. _

_The beating went on for at least an hour before Ali couldn't get herself up off the floor. "Alisa, you know the rules. Handlers do whatever they want to their soldiers. Why do you insist on questioning authority like you do?"_

"_Because it's wrong," she huffed. Ethan was standing a few feet away wiping blood off his knuckles. With some difficulty, she struggled to her feet where she swayed precariously. His eyebrows rose slightly, and he looked mildly impressed. "You don't hit as hard as you think, Old Man." _

"_You know I only do this because you actually got physical with another Handler. I could have let you just get in their face, but you broke his arm. I could hear it from across the complex. You're fourteen now, you need to get used to me imposing my authority."_

"_Ethan, please don't," she complained in a small voice. The usual cockiness in her voice was gone, and she seemed genuinely scared. _

"_No more talking. This seems to be the only way that you can listen to orders without having a relapse. You know I hate having to do this to you." She swallowed and looked down at the floor, her shoulders slumping. "Take off your pants now." _

_Ali knew it was no use trying to fight him off or argue. She was almost fifteen and had been broken when she was ten. This was the ultimate punishment in Ethan's eyes. Her Handler was one of the most lenient in the Fac, but he still did what he had to do to keep her in line. His line. With a scared whimper, she did as he asked and turned putting her hands on the wall and leaning over. Hearing the tell tale sound of his zipper, she tensed knowing what was going to happen next and dreading it. His warmth came from behind her, and he gently put a hand on her lower back. "What did you do that I have to punish?" he asked. _

"_I beat the shit out of Marcus without even trying." _

"_Manners, Alisa. I don't want to ask you again." She sighed before he pushed on her shoulder making her have to lean forward more. _

"_I broke your rules, Handler. I responded physically to a Handler disciplining his charge in direct violation of your rules and the rules of the Facility." _

"_Good girl," he sighed. "You will not break my rules so blatantly again after this, will you?" She could tell that he didn't want to do this, but Ethan's pulse had jumped too. She could feel it in the hand he had on her back. It was like he didn't want to rape this fourteen year old, but his body was responding to things beyond his control. _

"_No, sir. Your rules are absolute, and my job is to follow them." _

Ali side kicked the punching bag without realizing that her attacks were getting so strong. The punching bag's chain snapped and the bag hit the far wall exploding in a cloud of material and stuffing. She stayed extended in the kick with one foot high in the air, and her guard still up for several long moments before slowly lowering her leg then her hands dropped to her sides. It had been so long time since she was made to think about what was done to her at the Fac. Sinking to the floor, she slamming her back against the wall draping her arms over her knees. _Damn it._ That definitely hadn't been the worst punishment that was handed to her, so why would she think of that one specifically?

"Siha?" Thane asked quietly when he found her about an hour later in the shuttle bay. He could smell the blood from where he stood and immediately sprinted over to her. Her knuckles had been reopened and looked even worse than when she came back from Thessia. "What have you done?"

"The punching bag was looking shifty," she joked happy to finally be taken out her own thoughts. He gave her a severe look telling her that he didn't think this was a joking matter. She sighed to herself. "I was having flashbacks. Lost track of time. Lost control of what I was doing. Killed the punching bag."

"Flashbacks?"

"I don't have the memory you do, not by a long shot. But I do remember everything that has ever happened to me since I actually started to know what was happening to me. In detail."

"I didn't know."

"I'm pretty good at repressing it."

"We need to get these dressed," he said lifting her hands.

"Don't bother. I can feel them all ready healing."

"You shouldn't be doing this anyway, Siha. You were near death just three days ago."

"And don't I look good?" she joked again. He sighed but shook his head in amusement.

"You're incorrigible."

"Yes, yes, I am." She leaned forward and kissed him effectively cutting off whatever conversation he had planned. "Come with me," she breathed getting to her feet and grabbing his hand.

* * *

"You have no idea how much I want you right now," Ali murmured when they got back up to Life Support. He pressed a fist to his lips trying and failing to hide his grin. He stepped towards her, predator written in his eyes and in his stride. It made her blood run hot just seeing the look he was giving her. But there was an obvious control in him which slightly took away from the effect. She knew he wasn't going to do anything, and it made her more than a little frustrated. "What are you waiting for, Thane? You are infuriating."

"Siha, don't even try to tempt me," he murmured lowly, dangerously. Every one of her muscles responding, and judging by the smile on his face, he knew it.

Deciding to take matters into her own hands, Ali went to him pulling him into a deep kiss. She ran her hands along the sensitive red marks on the sides of his face. He starting purring deep in his throat and pulled her to him. "I know what you're doing," he breathed when they came up for air.

"Shut the bloody hell up, Krios." He did as she said and kissed her again pulling her to him holding her hair in his hand keeping her lips to his. With a sudden move, she whipped around moving her legs to trip him, and they were on the floor. He let out a surprised:

"Oof," when all the breath was knocked out of him.

Giggling Ali ran her teeth against his chin before he grabbed her face and kissed her. She bit his lip hard, and he jerked back slightly as a growl rippled through his chest. Thane licked his lip, but he was smiling up at her. Expertly unbuckling his jacket and vest, she started pulling down his shoulders making him sit up slightly until she could force it off. Rolling over before she could brace herself against it, he pinned her arms above her head with one hand and sunk his weight onto her hips to keep her from moving. She struggled slightly making his own blood flame as his predator instinct was called up by her prey actions. "Stay still," he growled. He was breathing hard, and it made her smile that she could get him so unraveled just by struggling. She wriggled again just to see how far she could push him. Another feral growl came from his throat, and he bore his teeth slightly. "Siha," he warned tightening his hand on her wrists. Sighing, she stopped which made him release a relieved breath, and he put his forehead on her chest trying to regain his self-control.

"I love it when you lose your calm."

"I don't," he retorted not looking up at her. "You're impossible."

"You love it." This time he looked up at her, and that predator look in his eye hadn't been totally quelled.

"I love _you_."Pulling down the collar of her shirt, he affectionately scraped his teeth against the bone on top of her shoulder. "I should mark you as my own, you know. I hate when we go through the Citadel or we meet up with you team especially that Gerry Stein character, and they look at you like you're a piece of meat to be used how they see fit."

"My, my, I had no idea you were that uncomfortable with them."

"I'm not uncomfortable, Siha. You're mine, and I want those men to know it."

"They probably do." He sighed shaking his head.

"A predator like me knows when his claim is being challenged."

"Really?"

"To them, you're something to be devoured." She bit her lip and squirmed ever so slightly. His eyes instantly darkened, and his hand tightened again on her wrists.

"Then why don't you?"

"You're not some _thing_ to me, Siha," he growled. "You can't be devoured. You're in a league all your own."

"I _want_ to be claimed by you. I am yours and only yours. And I want everyone to know it," she insisted running one of her legs up and down his.

"You don't know what you're asking. Claiming someone in my culture is very significant. It's right up there with marriage."

"Cheese and rice, Thane. We've been doing this tango for over twenty years. I've been yours for all that time. It's about time you announced it to every other person who will see it and know what it means." He let out an exasperated breath and pressed his forehead into her chest again trying to control the blood roaring in her ears.

She didn't understand what she was asking, and he didn't want to lose control. Claiming her as his own could make it so he couldn't control himself in the future. It would heighten everything that was attractive to him. Which to put it plainly was everything: her scent, the silky feel of her hair against his face, the way she moved, the smoothness of her skin. Albeit, they wouldn't be heightened to anyone else's eyes, but they would be to his. "Siha," he groaned.

"You're not getting out of this." He sighed and glanced up at her pouting. "Damn it, Thane. Cut that out."

"You know I could lose control and hurt you."

"Yeah, Mr. Always-in-control, you have me shaking in my boots." Then she glanced down at her ballet flats. "Whatever," she spat when he looked as well. He chuckled shaking his head then sobered almost as fast as it came on.

"I need you to take off your shirt," he breathed sitting up and draping his arms over his knees. His eyes were dark, but not with lust like usual. This time he was averse to what she wanted him to do. Slowly Ali pulled her shirt up and over her head laying it down on the ground next to her. "Remember that Drell skin is tougher than yours, so if I hurt you, you need to tell me. I just hope that with your heightened immune system and rate of healing will let me do this. It's meant to last." He gently pushed her hair over her other shoulder. He paused, waiting for her to answer him. She nodded looking into his eyes unwaveringly.

"I trust you." It almost seemed like the words hurt him, and the look made her wrap her arms around his neck where she nuzzled his fringe.

"Close your eyes," he breathed releasing his hold on her. She did as he said and waited for what she could only guess was coming.

Hearing him sigh was the only thing that happened in the next several long moments before he pushed her head to the side ever so slightly. He pressed his face into her hair taking a deep breath and inhaling her scent. All at once, he bit her shoulder hard enough to draw blood. The scent of her blood filled his nose before the scent of himself almost overpowered it. All Drell males had glands on the roof of their mouth which when they wanted to, would excrete their mark. The folds on the sides of his face did it as well though not always as potent.

The heartbeat against the side of his face was driving him into near madness. And as he had figured, the smell of her blood and her normal scent was intoxicating. All his muscles were tense trying to keep himself under control. He opened his jaws and let the gland secretions fill the small wound. He could smell it clear as day and knew anyone with his olfactory senses would be able to smell it. Even a human's subconscious would pick it up even if they could not smell him on her making him be slightly off put by her though they wouldn't be able to put their finger on it. He opened his eyes, and everything was dully colored. When he looked over at what he could see of her hair and skin, it seemed like she was glowing with inner light. Her orange hair was vibrant as if it was on fire. His breathing was coming in short gasps, and he couldn't stop himself from grabbing her harder. She gasped slightly as his touch roughened which snapped him out of it, and Thane pulled away.

"I apologize," he breathed a few minutes later from where he was sitting against the wall behind her. Ali hadn't moved from where she sat not knowing if it was safe enough to. Immediately, she crawled into his lap pushing her head under his chin and making him wrap his arm over her shoulders. She grabbed his forearm hugging it to her.

"You're an idiot." His brow furrowed.

"What?"

"Apologizing like that makes you an idiot. Last time I checked, I asked you to do it knowing full well that your instincts could overtake you."

"Did I hurt you?"

"Psh, no, of course not," she scoffed pressing her other hand against his bare chest. "Is this what the normal hallucinations from oral contact are supposed to look like?" He chuckled wrapping his other arm around her waist.

"What do you see?"

"Mm, nothing really. Colors are just a lot more vibrant, and everything is vibrating." Thane nuzzled the top of her head.

"Let me get a towel to clean up your shoulder with," he said gently picking her up and sitting her on their futon. He disappeared to the bathroom across the hall and grabbed a towel from the rack bringing it back to Life Support.

Thane wiped off his mouth with one end and kneeled in front of her to clean the blood from around the bite mark that looked like it was already scabbed over. He inhaled when the smell of her made him almost loose himself again and let it out slowly. The effects of marking her would be this strong for about a day before it got better, and he was worried he couldn't handle it. An almost goofy grin came over her face, and she pressed her index finger to his nose.

"Boop," she slurred biting her lip. He smiled up at her in amusement. _So this is what it would have been like if she was affected more by me._ "I totally love you, you know."

"I am aware, Siha."

"But _do_ you know?" She pouted, and it was getting hard for him to keep his amusement under control. "Because I really do."

"Maybe we should go to bed?" he suggested trying to lessen her future embarrassment about being so high. She exaggerated the sigh that followed.

"You're not being very nice, Thane."

"How would you like me to act?"

"You totally just vampired me." She giggled to herself before shaking her head and continuing. "That means something. Doesn't it?" Her brow furrowed like she couldn't remember her train of thought.

"Yes, it does, but I don't think we can have a serious conversation in your current state."

"Wow, colors are really awesome. Don't you think they're really awesome because I do?" He chuckled again really trying hard to take her seriously but failing miserably. "You're like _really_ green and pretty and just awesome." He licked his lips. "And you have frog lips, and they're amazing." This made him quirk his eyebrow slightly. "And I just want you so much. Why can't you let me have you?"

"I'm all yours, Siha. Always and forever."

After he managed to talk her into bed, Thane joined her wrapping her in his arms around her forcing her to stay still until her breathing evened. He reflected on what had just happened reliving it perfectly before moving onto other memories until he finally fell asleep with the taste of her on his tongue.


	19. Chapter 19

Ali slowly opened her eyes, and the blue light coming from the drive core immediately pierced into the back of her brain. She groaned and rolled over trying to block out the light. Nuzzling her face into Thane's chest, she opened her eyes to be met with his dark orbs. A small smile was plastered on his face, and he ran his fingers through her hair. "Good morning, Siha," he murmured running his nose along hers.

"I feel like I won a drinking game last night," she complained squeezing her eyes shut.

"I didn't even know it was possible for you to have a hangover."

"Me neither. Especially from something that has never affected me before." His mockingly raised an eyebrow.

"Really? I have never affected you?" She grinned shyly.

"Every time you look at me, I feel like my blood is on fire," she said simply before changing the subject. "How embarrassed should I be about last night?"

"You have no reason to be, Siha. Except you said that I have frog lips which I looked up and am a little confused about." She winced.

"Yeah-"

"There is no need for you to explain. You were not yourself." She cuddled into the curve of his body running her nose against his chest.

"Are we on our way to Sanctuary yet? The engines are a little louder than they have been."

"Yes, we left the Citadel earlier this morning, and it will take a few days to get there."

"How long have you been awake?" He chuckled and started playing with her hair.

"Several hours. I didn't want to wake you. You were so beautiful." Her cheeks colored slightly, and he reached out to stroke the color.

"When's dinner?" Thane smiled and shook his head.

"It should start soon. I can hear people starting to gather outside."

"I should take a shower and change. You go on ahead."

"Are you sure?" he asked. Ali knew that Thane didn't want to leave her on her own since Thessia, but she had to get him used to it. No matter how much she loved the man and wanted to be with him until the end of her life, she couldn't have him following her around like a duckling for all that time.

"Yes, go, now," she insisted before getting out of bed and grabbing an extra set of clothes from under the futon. Heading to the showers, she passed a few crew members. Half of them were drunk and coming back to go right to sleep until they're next shift and the others were helping them into their bunks.

Most of the crew was gathered in the Mess Hall after returning from their shore leave. Thane had his usual cup of tea cradled in his hands as he reclined against the back of his chair just enjoying the company. When he had first joined the crew, he had found himself feeling awkward being around the crew because he never had team members before Shepard recruited him. Now, though he only answered questions when they were posed to him instead of freely conversing like the rest of the crew, he found he enjoyed being a part of the crew. He smelled before he saw Ali enter the room as she made her way to get food. Her scent had become stronger to him since the marking, but now that she had cleansed her skin and hair of any other scent, her unique smell was even more powerful. Without looking up, he silently slid a chair out when she came towards him. "Thank you," she breathed quietly so only he would hear her over the din of the raucous crew. He nodded and took a sip from his cup looking over the rim at the crew warily.

Garrus clapped a hand on her shoulder and rather loudly with a couple slurs welcomed her back to the living. "Daniels, I can safely say that we were all worried about you when you came back from Thessia," he said.

"Yeah, who would be my workout partner if you had died? You should be less selfish. I mean I would have been devastated," James agreed readily.

"We have our own book club. Who would I have discussed books with?" Ashley joined in though quieter and much more articulately that the men.

"I didn't know I would have been so missed. I apologize for putting you all through that," Ali said bowing her head humbly. The scent of Thane's tea finally hit her. "They have tea?" she asked quietly when the focus of the conversation shifted away from her. She noticed almost everyone else had either coffee or liquor.

Wordlessly, Thane handed her his own with a small smile and leaned over to scoop up her thighs and lay them across his lap taking pressure off the still sore side of her pelvis. He could see her gratitude in her fall aspen leaf colored eyes, and it made him smile a little bit more. Ali returned his smile with one of her own taking a sip of tea and lowering it to her lap letting the warmth travel up her fingers.

Garrus went on to tell a story about a woman he sparred with on one of the ships he served on. Trying to ignore Thane drawing patterns on her thighs, she jumped when he squeezed her knee, and she sent him a quick death glare. She felt his answering hum. Sighing slightly, she wordlessly analyzed the story formulated an equal from her own repertoire knowing the only reason the Turian was relating the story was to make her tell her own as to not lose their contest. "We held a tie breaker in my quarters. I had reach, but she had flexibility," he finished. Tali had sat down next to him during the course of his story, and though Ali couldn't see her face, she could tell by her body language that the story had made her uncomfortable. She had been noticing that the two had become increasingly close over the past several weeks, and so had Thane. "Beat that, Ali, and yours can't be about Krios, either," Garrus bellowed over the voices reacting to his story. She laughed glancing over at the Drell. His nod was so subtle that no one else could have noticed it though his patterns on her thighs had changed to what she could only describe as possessive.

"Okay, Vakarian, while your story was cute, I will make you eat your words." Garrus scoffed at the word "cute" and proceeded to fume quietly waiting for her own story.

"Bring it on," he bit out lowly. She could feel the reverberation of his growl and it echoed through Thane as they had an under the normal spectrum of sound contest of whose growl was more daunting. Ignoring them, Ali looked up to see Shepard and Liara entering the Mess Hall. They had been holding hands but quickly separated when they noticed she had seen them. She smiled before starting to retell her story.

_Ali was still in training at the Fac. She had just finished her infiltrator training, and it was her first job specializing in that specific skill. Unlike normal, she was paired with Gerry, one of the tech specialists that had completed the training the class before her. He was to keep an eye on her during the mission plus a lot of the doors and the safe would need his skill. To be honest, she was a little nervous to be on a mission with a relative stranger when she was usually teamed with Mark. "I don't need to put you in battle mode for this, Alisa, because you have to animated to get into his bed. It's all right to be nervous but don't let the jitters affect you otherwise you and I will be in big trouble," Ethan said right before they left on the shuttle. "Good luck, I know you'll do well."_

"_Thank you, sir. I won't let you down." _

_The mission was simple in its basest form: get in, kill the badie, get the information he had stolen, and get out. That was the end of the simplistic. Everything else was the hard part. Their target: a human named Connor Neilson, was one of the richest government men out there. What the government didn't know was that their man was selling secrets for his affluence. The Fac had been hired to investigate by one of the few people in the intelligence agency who thought he was selling secrets. Only a few hours ago, their people had discovered that he had a data disc with all sorts of dirty little secrets including information about the Fac. It made the mission more time sensitive and the need for the two of them even greater. _

_There was a planet that housed all the richest people. They all had their individual parts of the planet's surface and thousands more mansions hovered above the clouds. Mr. Nielson was having a party to celebrate yet another few million in his bank. Ali had been invited. _

_When she walked into the quite ostentatious front room of the mansion, Ali looked up at the ceiling taking in the frescoes and gold. There were many philanthropists in the room milling around. She found herself laughing at the fact that most of these people probably lived on the planet merely a shuttle ride away. Gerry came up from behind her and gently placed his hand on her bare lower back. "What are you laughing at, sweetheart?" he whispered in her ear._

"_If you call me 'sweetheart' again here, I will sew your mouth shut," she threatened. He chuckled, his breath brushing her neck and moving the soft curls on her neck. _

"_You look quite fetching in this dress," he murmured before kissing her behind the ear and stepping away. She knew that he was pining for her in his obvious way, and she enjoyed the flirty banter. When she met him a week ago when they had started briefs about this mission, she had been surprised by his obvious plays for her affections, but fraternization in the Fac was one of the big no-no's. She bent the rules a lot, but that was one Ethan made clear that he wouldn't tolerate._

_Glancing down at herself, Ali made sure she was all put together. Her dress was a slinky silk thing that was really barely there. The front was loose and hung right below the tops of her breasts showing the little V between them. The back was cut down to right below the small dimples on her lower back, and there was a ribbon tied from her shoulder blades down. Finally, there was a slit going up to her upper thigh. The dress was a coral pink, and her long curly hair was up in a loose bun. She was dressed to seduce the billionaire, but she was attracting more attention than just him. _

"_I don't believe I have had the pleasure of meeting such a truly beautiful women. Does this vision have a name?" Connor said in a smarmy voice that most women would have probably melted at. She turned towards him and smiled making sure to look him up and down with an appreciative look. _

"_Mr. Nielson, it's such an honor to meet you. My name is Alisa." He took her outstretched hand and kissed the top of it. She had to admit that he definitely wasn't the ugliest man she had thought she was going to have to seduce for a job. But she still got the chills when his lips touched her. _Yuck.

"_The honor is all mine. That man you walked in with. Husband?" She shook her head. "Boyfriend?" She repeated the action. _

"_He's just the man who escorted me in."_

"_How is a woman like you not accompanied to a party like this?"_

"_It's a party like this that a woman like me goes hunting," she murmured giving him her best smoldering look. She saw his Adam's apple dip as he swallowed thickly and knew she had said the right thing. _

"_I have to be seen at my own party for at least an hour, you understand. But after that time is up, I would like to continue this hunt in a more private setting." _

"_I just hope I don't find a more enticing prey while you're away. Maybe even my escort," she teased before turning and slowly walking away. _

_Ali was sitting at the bar with her second drink in less than half an hour. Watching Nielson walking around and flirting with every woman who was unattached and even some who were was getting nerve wracking. At any moment he could lose interest in her, and she would not be able to finish the mission. Gerry slowly slunk up behind her placing his hand on her back gently caressing her skin. "You're losing him. Why don't you go over there?"_

"_No, that would seem too pushy. Plus I all ready established myself as a hunter. I can't go back to him. It would turn him off."_

"_Then why don't we make him want you more than any other bimbo in here?" He took her hand in his and led her to the dance floor. "Let's put on a show for him, hm?" She smiled up at him as they passed the band, and he requested a song: a tango. _

_As they danced around the floor, other couples vacated to give them more space. A good crowd had gathered to watch them including her target. Gerry made sure to touch almost every inch of her bare skin just to fan the flame of jealousy and lust in Connor Nielson. Ali actually started to enjoy herself, and she hadn't even been touched like this by a man her age before. Gerry's hair was short and dark. He was very good looking. She had to admit that she liked him, but rules were rules. She couldn't let this go farther than this job. During one of the few bars of music when the violins just held a note for several seconds, he turned her around so her back was to his front. He placed one hand on her abdomen and the other on her exposed thigh where he caressed her skin with his thumb. She put one of her hands on his and the other one on her neck entwining her fingers in his hair. As they danced the rest of the dance, he kept her as close as he could. When they finished, he pulled one of her legs up to his hip stretching her out while his other hand stayed on her lower back. Putting one of her hands on his pectoral and the other on the back of his neck, Ali breathed hard as they stayed in place. She noticed he was also breathing hard, but whether from exertion or attraction, she could not tell. There was a roar of impressed applause which knocked them out of their daze, and they finally released each other. Gerry smiled and bowed politely in front of her briefly kissing her hand jerking his eyes toward Nielson who was looking at her with indomitable lust. _

"_Alisa, you definitely don't know how to wait your turn, do you?" Connor said coming up behind her. She took a sip of her drink and without turning around spoke over her shoulder. _

"_I'm sure I have no idea what you are implying, Mr. Nielson. But if I did, I would respond that I am a very possessive woman when it comes to my prey."_

"_I will have to remember that. Please, come with me," he murmured taking the champagne flute out of her hand and leading her away from the crowd. "I'm going to take you to a special place of mine." _

"_I can't wait."_

"_Mr. Nielson, while I am very impressed with your art collection, I'm more interested in the main attraction," Ali said walking ahead of him through his art collection. This man had cultural gems from almost every species in the galaxy, and she was just trying to hide her shock as every new piece presented itself. She had to act uninterested in the artwork while that was the only thing she had wanted to see. She was unenthusiastic about what she had to do after he was finished showing her his power. _

"_You are quite the impatient little thing, aren't you? Good thing you look so fuck worthy in that dress." She gave him a knowing and seductress like look. She could see the effect immediately. A vein started jumping in his neck, and his breathing was coming in rapid gasps. He loosened his tie and smoothed back his hair. "You might be the only woman that I fuck before I finish my tour." She clucked her tongue in a mock scolding and continued down the hall. She glanced over her shoulder to wink at him while actually spotting Gerry lying in wait around the corner. Neilson licked his lips before grabbing her hair and yanking her face back, so he could smash his lips against hers. Their teeth clashed before their tongues were in each other's mouths fighting for the upper hand. It took her by surprise. She had to get him to his lair, so they could isolate him there. Getting what they needed out of here during a party where everyone would be coming and going as they pleased was the best way to get this job done without arousing attention. _

_Ali tried to come out of the haze she was feeling, but battle mode was slowly taking over sucking her into character. _This is part of the job. Quit fighting it. You know this will make him buy it more, just let go. It's not like you will remember much after anyways. _But she couldn't let go now. She had a job to do. "Wait, wait, what if someone sees us? Let's go somewhere more private." Inwardly, she rolled her eyes. He looked at her hungrily before finally grabbing her hand and dragging her along the art gallery to the opposite side of the mansion. Gerry followed close behind, and she felt a little safer knowing that. There was no way she was sleeping with this guy and if he was there as her backup, she knew he would not let anything happen. _

_When he got her down the stairs and into a plush little apartment with an en-suite bathroom, Neilson threw her down on the circular bed in a less than gentlemanly fashion. "I don't like women who make me wait, Alisa," he growled running his hands through his hair before joining her. He pinned Ali down on the bed with his body and started open mouth kissing her down her front along the deep plunge of her dress. She turned her head away not wanting to watch him as he moved down her body. All at once, Gerry was behind him grabbing his head in his hands and with a quick move, snapped his neck. She let out her held breath and pushed his body off of her. _

"_Hey, are you okay?" Gerry asked kneeling down in front of her. Ali had her feet over the edge of the bed and her head in her hands. _

"_Uh, yeah, just- Can you give me a second?" she asked not daring to look up at him. Swiftly, he took her chin between his thumb and forefinger lifting her face up, so he could look at her. A small tear fell trailed down her cheek which he wiped away with his thumb. _

"_It's okay. The first time is always the hardest. Did he hurt you?" She shook her head, but he started searching her body for any injuries. There was a hand print bruise on her upper thigh from where he had grabbed her and another one around her wrist. "Bastard." _

"_It's okay. I'm okay." He looked up at her again with concerned eyes and pecked her cheek patting her knee in sympathy. _

"_When you're ready, but we have to go soon." She nodded again feeling blood rush to her face. He smirked and winked before turning, taking off his jacket, and pulling his equipment out of the lining. _

_Standing Ali took the rest of the pins out of her curly mess of hair since he had ruined any style there was supposed to be and shook it lose. "I know how you're feeling right now, but we have to act like drunken lovers to get through this behemoth of a house relatively unnoticed. Can you do that?" he asked placing his jacket over her shoulders hoping it would hide some of the bruises. _

"_Yeah, I'm fine, Gerry. It was just a shock. They don't teach you any of that during training."_

"_I know. I've got your back though. You can count on me." She smiled up at him. _

"_Thanks." He winked again, and together, they headed up the stairs out of this apartment he used solely for his rather violent liaisons. _

_The two quickly made it though the mansion acting like the drunken couple they weren't. When they arrived at the office, Ali turned to watch the door as Gerry hacked into the safe opening it within a few minutes. "Impenetrable my ass," he muttered taking out all the data discs and a fair amount of credit chits. He pocketed everything and followed Ali out the door back into the hall. She frowned not knowing why he needed chits. The Fac gave them all they needed, but she decided to let it slide. _

"_Darling, do you wish to go out of the front door?" he asked offering his arm to her. She narrowed her eyes but decided to let it slide. _

"_Absolutely, dear, I wouldn't have it any other way."_

_In no time, they were in their shuttle heading back to the ship where their Handlers were waiting. And just like that, Connor Nielson was no more just a name on some report somewhere. "Are you all right, Alisa?" Ethan asked when he saw the flash of one of her bruises when she sat down. _

"_Yes, sir." He gave her a look that said they were going to talk about it in private. Gerry handed his Handler the data disc which she put in a terminal to check the information. _

"_It's all there. Did you wipe all the hard drives before leaving, soldier?" she asked turning to Gerry who smiled at her. _

"_Yes, ma'am, I also left a little present for anyone who tries to get onto the computers. It's gonna be awesome." _

* * *

There was silence after she finished her story. Of course, there had been no detail and just the bare skeleton of the story. Thane shifted slightly and looked over at her. He had heard the story before, but it seemed that this time, he had actually explored the back story a little more. "Siha, how old were you?" he asked quietly. It seemed loud in the near silence of the mess hall.

"Fifteen," Ali answered simply knowing there was going to be a reaction.

"Who the hell would make a fifteen year old seduce some man for information?" Garrus exclaimed startling near everyone in the room. His growl was almost deafening.

"I didn't have an exactly charming childhood. But to someone's defense, I didn't look fifteen. For those of us taken into the Facility at a young age as in toddlers and infants, we were given either hormones or gene therapy to make our bodies age faster until about eighteen then it would stop and let us age naturally from there."

"But you were fifteen," Ashley continued.

"Trust me, I didn't feel fifteen." Garrus' face showed realization.

"How many of the stories you have told me were when you were that young?" he asked slowly. Ali shrugged and smiled at him not liking the attention that was being put on her. She had always let people assume what they wanted to about her stories. If they thought she was in her twenties, then she let them. It wasn't her place to give them a window into her past that was crystal clear, so they could see everything.

"A few. That's where all my best stories come from. Now that I am the boss of the NextGen Soldiers, I don't get out often enough to have anything good."

"That's-"

"Garrus, it's over. It was a long time ago. Trust me, I have made peace with that part of my life. If it wasn't for the Fac, I wouldn't be able to do what I do now, and I would never have met Thane." He sighed and thought for a second weighing the story obviously trying to ignore the fact that she was so young.

"We will continue at a later date. This Turian needs to sleep off the oncoming hangover," he said finally getting to his feet. His hand caressed Tali's shoulder a little longer than he had too, but no one but Ali and Thane seemed to notice. They gave one another a knowing look as Garrus walked over to the battery.

"The Turian has a good point. Goodnight all," James called from where he was all ready halfway across the room. The room continued to slowly empty until only Ali, Thane, and Shepard were left.

"Thane, will you give me a moment with Daniels, please?" Shepard asked when the voices finally faded. The Drell shot Ali a questioning look, and when she nodded subtly to him, he gently removed her legs from his lap and rose. Bowing respectfully to Shepard, Thane left the room looking back over his shoulder at his lover. "What kind of jobs did you do for this Fac?" he asked unceremoniously.

"All kinds: assassinations, undercover, general battles. I did almost everything."

"Did you do any of those kinds of jobs for the Fac?" He was going for subtly, and while on some level she appreciated it, Ali wished he would just get to the point.

"Yes, many."

"So the Fac forced you to have sex with these men?"

"Yes, from when the Fac recruited us, we were conditioned to follow orders to the letter. It was called battle mode. It also made us better soldiers as in it gave us faster reflexes, made us stronger, a more calculating tactician, and it ensures that there are no distractions. The battle mode wasn't only made for combat. It also made going undercover much easier." His head cocked.

"That's how you took out that Destroyer and almost killed Kai Leng in less than a minute."

"Yes."

"Now I understand why Thane talked up your abilities so much. I thought he was exaggerating. You have no biotics or tech abilities. It's hard to believe that my own combat talents can be challenged by you so easily." She chuckled though there was little humor in it.

"I am definitely not as important as you are Shepard. To be honest, I don't like you that much, but I do understand what you mean to the survival of this galaxy. So I will lay my life down without hesitation to protect yours. Your charisma and talent for pissing the right people off is what will get us through. There is no way I can ever compete with that and I would never dream of doing it. You have nothing to worry about from me, Commander Shepard. I just hope someday that I can be as important to my team as you are to the entire galaxy." As Shepard silently thought about what she said, Ali wordlessly rose to her feet and left the Mess Hall heading for Life Support.

When Ali entered the room, she felt the tension rolling off of Thane in waves. He looked up at her, and in that moment, she was a little bit afraid of him. Without saying anything, he strode forward grabbing her arms and pushing her against the wall. He kissed her thrusting his tongue into her mouth. The kiss was all consuming, and Ali felt like a fire was roaring through her. "You are mine," he breathed when he finally had to let her go to catch his fevered breath.

"Do you see anyone else in my bed?"

"This is not a joke, Ali."

"I wasn't joking. I told you everything about that job when it happened, Thane. I even went into more depth and told you how violated I felt about him touching me."

"And that was hard enough to take way back then. And I never realized how young you were." Her brow furrowed in consternation.

"You were married, and it doesn't matter how old I was," she hissed. He paused his brow furrowing.

"I just never realized what they did. And it makes me want to kill everyone who ever had a part in making you do what you did."

"Oh, get over it. They're all dead. The only people from that time now are on my team including Gerry who helped me through a lot of the shit that happened back then. He is a year older than me, and he had a more specific skill set that made it so he was on more jobs because he needed less training. It doesn't matter anymore. Don't you love who I am now? All I am is a result of who I was back then. There is no changing the past, so just accept it and move on." For a moment he looked shocked, then shame started to flicker through his dark eyes. He swallowed and gently released his hold on her arms. Thane caressed her cheek with his knuckles then brushed her hair out of her face.

"I apologize," he murmured before taking a few steps back and putting his head in his hands. "Siha, you are driving me to madness. Your scent is so strong. I can smell you everywhere I go no matter where on the ship you are. And I can smell you on every man here. It takes all my willpower not to kill them every time I scent you on them or they even glance your way. I had no idea that I would react this strongly to marking you."

"You don't think that I notice every move that you make. I've known you for twenty years. I know exactly what you're thinking and feeling most of the time. You and Garrus were having a growling match so low that no one could hear it. But I felt it. The color of the frills on your cheeks darken were your aroused, and during my story, yours were even darker than usual. You were imagining me in that dress or the way I moan when we make love. I know you, and I understand how important what you did was. I've been researching it ever since that night." This statement gave him pause.

"You have?"

"Yes, I wanted to understand it. Only Turians and Drell mark their partners. It's to show anyone or anything that I am taken. Garrus understands that. He's been acting differently ever since you marked me. The Turians call it bondmates. The Asari call it the same thing, but they don't mark their partners. If I could shout that I am yours from the rooftops, I would. You have to know that, Thane." During this time, he had come back to her and buried his head in her shoulder taking deep breaths.

"Siha, you have made me into a mess," he murmured after a long pause. She laughed wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Good, that's my goal in life. Someone had to break through that armor of yours."

"Around you, Siha, I have no armor. It's like you've stripped it away piece by piece, and you won't give it back. That's probably one of the reasons that I am in love with you."

"I love you too."

* * *

"Mm, Thane why are you up so late?" Ali asked tiredly stretching slightly as she looked up at him. Without answering, he placed his hand in her hair running it through the locks then repeating the action. She saw that he was reading a book but couldn't read the title in the relative dimness of the room. She decided to wait until he was done with the paragraph or the page. Placing her head on his abdomen, she traced the stripes on his chest and sides: every one that she could reach. A small smile crossed his lips, but his eyes kept moving over the words without stopping.

Eventually Thane lowered the book and looked over at her. "What are you reading?" she asked peering up at him.

"It's a book from your apartment. I was retrieving your armor and saw it on your bookshelf. It was well worn which led me to believe that it was one of your favorites. But I am confused by your attraction to a poor boy trapped on a lifeboat with a tiger." She giggled finally recognizing the faint picture on the cover.

"Ah, _Life of Pi_."

"Indeed. Why do you like it?"

"What part are you on?"

"Near the end. The Japanese insurance investigators are talking to the main character." She smiled knowingly and nuzzled his bare chest right along his sternum.

"Read until the end, then you can ask again," she murmured looking mischievously up at him. His head cocked slightly but his eyes slid back to the book. He continued reading, and Ali watched waiting for him to finish. She continued drawing patterns over his stripes, and in that moment, she could not have been happier. She loved just being silent with him. She felt complete with him just being a presence in her life, beside her, his scent filling her nose. "I love you," she breathed planting a soft kiss on his chest. He smiled, and his eyes flickered up to meet hers for a moment before he went back to the book.

"And I love you, my Siha."

They sat in silence until he finished the book after which he lowered it and stared off into the distance. "Well?" she asked after about a minute when her patience couldn't stand it anymore. His eyes went to her, and they were sparkling.

"I do understand why you like it. A rather unexpected ending."

"Yes, it is. The first time I read it, I felt like my whole world had collapsed in on me. It's one of my favorite books." He chuckled pulling her closer, so he could hug her tightly.

"I loved it."

"Good, maybe I can live with you now," Ali teased.


	20. Chapter 20

**Real Note on Chapter 21**

* * *

Shepard had worked so hard to find the Catalyst and complete the Crucible. They had the largest fleet that had ever been amassed in history, and it was all thanks to the Commander. Unfortunately the Illusive Man and his assassin lackey Kai Leng had gotten the information about the Catalyst first, and they were headed into hell's teeth to get it back. Sanctuary had been a disaster. All it told them was where the Cerberus station was located, and that Kai Leng was still alive. The only good thing was that Miranda got her sister back and her father was dead.

A direct assault on Cerberus was suicide; but then again both Thane and Shepard had faced those odds before, and Shepard had brought every one out alive. Still, Ali could not sleep with the knowledge that by the next day, she or Thane might be dead or even the whole galaxy destroyed. She had worked so hard to cure Thane even funneling all her assets to the Hanar scientists who had succeeded in finding the cure and to think about him dying made her throat close with grief.

It was almost second nature to walk to Life Support instead of bunking by herself. The door opened silently, and she stepped forwards until he looked half over his shoulder. "I have been meditating trying to focus on something other than the possibility of losing you," he said looking at the floor instead of her.

"So you can't sleep either?" she joked lightly trying to make herself feel better.

"We agreed that we would spend tonight away from each other. I have resigned myself to a sleepless night without you in my arms."

Ali walked up to him putting a hand on his clasped ones. He looked up at her with those inscrutable black eyes. She placed her other hand on his cheek pressuring him to rise, and when he did, she embraced him. Tears filled her eyes, the terror of losing him finally overcame her in one huge wave. He held her as the sobs wracked her body and did his best to comfort her with his presence alone because he knew nothing he said would have helped to ease her pain. Running his hand down her back to encircle her waist, Thane pressed his lips into her hair breathing in her smell. No matter where they were or how long it had been since she showered last, she always smelled like cinnamon and vanilla, and he had grown to recognize that smell as comfort. As the sobs subsided, he took her face in his hands and pressed a chaste kiss to her lips. "No matter what happens, my warrior angel- my Siha, I want you to know that I love you," he whispered. She leaned her forehead against his as he wiped the tears away from her cheeks.

"Then show me."

He cupped her face and kissed her again deeper. His tongue pressed gently against her lips silently beckoning to her. When she opened her mouth to him and their tongues met, she ran her hands up his chest taking up his shirt as well. She tossed it over her shoulder as Thane entwined his fingers in her orange loosely curly hair and pulled her face and body closer to him. Untangling his hands from her mane of thick hair, he moved his hands down her back grabbing her upper thighs lifting her off her feet. Ali wrapped her legs around his waist caressing the inner rim of his fringe. He spun and set her on the table behind him running his hands down her arms and pressing them against her abdomen. Moving from her mouth to her neck, he hooked his fingers under her shirt pulling it over her head and throwing it into the pile of his own clothes.

Slowly he made his way from her neck down her shoulders to her stomach where his tongue swirled around her belly button. She sucked in a breath and groaned in pleasure letting her head fall back. He pulled her face to his lips kissing her deeply while Ali hooked her legs on his hips pressing her chest flush against his. He cupped her cheek with one hand while the other unclasped her bra and threw it over his shoulder. He slowly ran his rough fingers over her nipples eliciting a small whimper before he took one in his mouth flicking it with his tongue. "Thane," she moaned digging her nails into his shoulder blades. He chuckled sending vibrations through her breast. She unbuckled his pants as he undid hers. Untangling himself from her arms and legs, he slowly slid off her ballet flats followed by her pants and his own.

Glancing down at the barely visible mark on her shoulder, Thane trembled ever so slightly. He gently ran his fingers along the half moon shape and closed his eyes. Her scent and taste still hadn't diminished since he had marked her, and he had found it hard to keep himself in check where she was concerned. The instinct to protect her was overwhelming, and he was tempted to take her away in a shuttle to prevent her from fighting the Reapers. His people had a lot of stories about marking someone, and the reactions were very different. Some found that their feelings never changed, and the marking itself was just symbolic. And others became connected to their partner in a way they couldn't describe: like the other person was their entire being. When one entered a room, the other finally felt like he could breathe. Or they felt like they were missing a part of themselves when they were not by their side. He had almost always found the sentiment cheesy when he had heard talk of it in his youth, but now that he was experiencing the same effect, he found himself finding new respect for the marking itself.

When Ali walked into a room, he found that he understood what he was meant to do in his life. Thane wanted to be a better man who deserved this woman. She had waited for him for twenty years, and he wasn't going to mess it up again. If she tried anything, Thane would have no hesitation in tying her to a chair to keep her from danger. The thought of losing her was so incredibly painful that it physically hurt his chest to think about reminding him of when Kepral's was at its worst. "Siha," he murmured running his lips over the scar a few times before gently biting the bone of her shoulder. Ali smiled over at him making circles along the stripes on his arms and the faded pink spots under them on his ribs.

He grabbed her legs behind her knees pulling her slowly towards him. She sucked in a breath as he entered her. She hadn't been with anyone in years, and with the ribbing along his cock that expanded inside of her, it made him feel even bigger. He moved slow letting her muscles expand to take his thickness as he skimmed his lips along her collar bones. Combing his fingers through her hair, he splayed it around her head like a bright orange halo and kissed her. She bit his lip pulling his head closer to her causing him to smile. When she released him, he kissed her cheek running the side of his face against her and nibbling her ear before lightly biting her shoulder again.

When Thane was buried to the hilt, he remained there his face buried in her shoulder waiting for her muscles to relax. Ali cradled his head against her and pulled his lips to hers. He slowly began to thrust making her moan into his mouth. As the friction began to build, he hastened his rhythm until they were both moaning. Her channel started to tighten as her orgasm approached, and her back arched off the table. Her orgasm was so strong, she screamed; but he silenced her with a deep kiss as her muscles clamped down on him making him immediately come with a bark of a grunt as he bit into her shoulder hard. He collapsed not able to hold himself over her. The room was silent except for their panting and the hum of the drive core.

As his strength returned, Thane lifted her off the table and moved to his futon. He laid down pulling her into his chest. Half her body was across his, and he brought up her leg until it was hitched on his waist as they both rested until the fog of post coital bliss lifted. Then he turned her onto her side pulling her against his chest and wrapping an arm around her body. Hugging his arm to her chest, she pushed herself into the curve of his body loving the feel of his scales against her skin. This was where she belonged, in his arms surrounded by his love and their scent intermingled. "I love you, Thane. I always have," she whispered He propped himself up on his elbow and caught her chin between his thumb and finger forcing her to roll over slightly.

"Even back then?" She smiled not looking into his eyes. "Please, look at me, Siha." Her eyes met his, and he kissed her before pulling back.

"Yes, even way back when I thought you were just a soulless assassin." He chuckled before kissing her forehead.

"I have loved you since then as well."

"Since you thought I was an assassin?" she teased. A smile graced his lips before he nipped her shoulder affectionately.

Ali shivered slightly making Thane grab a blanket and drape it over them. "Let us go to sleep now. We have a long day tomorrow." She chuckled pulling one of his arms against the curve of her abdomen and looked back at him.

"Kiss me first," she ordered teasingly. A smile tugged at the corners of his lips before he took her chin in his hand kissing her deeply delving into her mouth with his tongue. Her fingers ran up his side under the blanket teasing the sensitive stripes of scales that ran along his body. He shivered at the light touch of her fingers making her want to follow the stripes all the over his body, but knowing that they needed to rest before defeating the Reapers and saving the galaxy, she resisted the urge. He ended the kiss planting another on her hairline before pulling her closer. She wrapped her hands around his trapping it against her chest.

"I really don't want you to be on the mission to the Cerberus base without me," she pouted after the meeting in the war room with the rest of the team. Thane traced her bottom lip with his thumb.

"EDI has to be the other teammate. You know that."

"Kai Leng might be there." His eyes hardened subtly.

"Then I will take care of him, Siha. I am not the terminally ill Drell he beat before. Plus you weakened him on Thessia. Shepard said he was still limping from when you kicked his knee."

"I don't care. I couldn't bear it if you die."

"Siha, I am not going anywhere. I will always come back to you."

"Promise?" The corners of his lips turned up into a small smile.

"I promise." She sighed but nodded all the same.

"I'll just be here freaking out pacing the cockpit making Joker nervous."

"I will ask James to try and keep you contained."

"He can try," she threatened darkly. He chuckled then kissed her gently, but he pulled away before she could deepen it making her pout slightly. He obligingly ran his nose along her pulling her bottom lip into his mouth and biting gently.

"I have to go. I am holding up Shepard."

"Be safe," she murmured as they pressed their foreheads together.

Liara was staring into space while Ali listened to music through her wireless ear buds while working the punching bag in the corner. James was standing behind the bag keeping it in place since she was the one who broke the last one. Her eyes were dark, darker than he had ever seen them even when she was in that creepy battle mode. The Asari got to her feet and started to pace the shuttle bay. "Please, don't," Ali said just loud enough to get her attention. "You're going to make me even more nervous, Shadow Broker."

"I'm sorry. I just don't have anything to do, and I am so scared that John will get hurt," she apologized. Ali took the ear buds out of her ears and stuck them in the pocket of her cargo pants and turned towards the Asari.

"How about two on one?" Liara frowned not really understanding the point.

"Physical violence to get my mind off physical violence?" she guessed slowly.

"I always find physical action get your mind out of your mind and into your body. James?"

"Yeah, I am always for a good fight. So you want us to attack you at the same time? Any rules you want to make?"

"Naw, I wouldn't want to rein either of you in."

"Are you sure, Ali?" Liara asked uncertainly.

"Come and get me."

James came in close with a hard lunging punch putting a lot of power behind it. She was under it before he registered her moving, and she punched him four times in the ribs keeping it to a minimum just enough that it made him have to pause for a couple seconds. She felt more than saw when Liara sent the singularity at her which she dodged by rolling then planting her feet into a crate and launching herself back at the biotic. Sweeping her legs out from under her, Ali turned to block an attack from James with her forearm turning subtly to throw him away from her in one easy move. With the man a few feet out of the way and still stumbling, she grabbed the Asari who had just gotten up and moved her thumb into the nerves that controlled the biotic flow. She paralyzed them temporarily which made Liara grunt in pain as her eyebrows furrowed in surprise.

With the dominant hand out of the way, Ali turned back and caught James' punch in the jaw. Her head snapped back before she grabbed him redirecting his momentum until he was off balance. He kicked out blindly, and she jumped over it before slamming her heel into his knee. It gave way under him, and he fell to the floor holding his leg. "Argh," he groaned before trying to get back to his feet. She whirled sinking her weight into her back foot keeping her knees bent since she was turning her back on James. Liara threw her back with the biotics flowing through her hand, and she hit a few crates before rolling to stop and jumping to her feet. James was halfway to his feet, and she rushed him aiming for his weakened side as she moved under his guard tripping his injured knee and grabbing his arm as he threw it out for balance. She wrenched it back extending towards Liara who was about two feet behind Vega. Snapping down on her other wrist, she disabled the rest of the biotics and pulled Liara to the floor along with him. Both stayed where they were panting heavily. Ali sat down putting her hands on her knees regaining control over her breathing.

"Thank you, Ali," Liara said between breaths. "That was helpful."

"No problem. I didn't hurt you did I?"

"No, that was a cool trick with my biotics though. Where did you learn that?"

"Soldiers like me have to learn how to get through a complex full of anything in the least amount of time possible. You learn how to disable everything pretty quickly. How are you doing James? I tried to make the kick strong enough to slow you down but not hurt you more than necessary."

"I'm all right, Ali. It's just throbbing right now."

"Need some medi-gel or some ice."

"Naw, I'm good. You need to teach me how to fight like that."

"Maybe someday I will."

Thane followed Shepard into the Illusive Man's office which looked out over a star and scanned the entire room. The Illusive Man had all ready fled, but the computer VI was still there and seemingly forthcoming with the information Shepard was looking for. He tried to listen, but something about this seemingly empty station was not sitting right with him. It seemed too easy. Then Kai Leng walked in the room taking out his sword. "Shepard, keep the troopers off me," Thane said taking a few steps forward putting himself in between the assassin and the commander. Leng's face registered shock at seeing the Drell again.

"I killed you."

"It would appear I am not that easy to kill."

Leng repositioned his sword and charged at Thane. He blocked the sword with his pistol kicking him in the side as the sword bounced over his head in a sloppy arc. Leng winced making the Drell smirk. "So she did some damage? Good." Ducking under the sword in a perfect spin, he caught the assassin's wrist twisting it hard making him drop his sword. It clattered to the floor, and Thane punched him in the ribs specifically targeting that area after his discovery. He blocked Leng's punch with his forearm and sent in his own his fist glancing off the metal plating on his chin making him wince slightly as his knuckles split. Grabbing Thane's arm, the assassin flipped the Drell over, and he hit the floor hard. Rolling backwards, Thane launched himself forward again pushing him halfway across the room with a strong biotic throw. Leng hit the window sending cracks across the surface. He staggered to his feet holding his chest in pain before shaking his head to clear it.

Shepard and EDI spread out focusing on the troopers coming through the doors drawing their fire away from the fight going on in the middle of the room. Thane picked up the sword giving it an experimental swing. He didn't particularly like swords, but he knew how to use one. He let Leng catch his breath before dropping into a fighting stance. The assassin glared at him taking up his own position though he leaned to one side keeping all of his weight off one of his legs which Thane didn't miss. Leng charged at him, and Thane drew himself to the side kicking out the knee that he was favoring making him stumble ever so slightly though enough to open him up for Thane to do his worst. Dodging the misjudged and frankly quite sloppy attack, he brought the sword in a backward thrust when the human passed him in a misjudgment of distance. It went through Leng's body cleanly, and Thane stood up straight not looking back at the body. He brought his hands together at chest level and closed his eyes in a quick prayer. He didn't think Leng deserved such niceties, but he knew it was the right thing to do. "Shepard, I believe we might have to finish this quickly," he murmured looking over at the commander. The human nodded and sat down at the console starting to type on the holographic keyboard. EDI stood next to Thane with their backs to Leng.

Stumbling to his feet, Kai Leng started struggling his way towards Shepard. Thane tightened the hands that were behind his back and whirled around. A knife appeared in his hands, more specifically Ali's knife which he had stolen from her armor pile before he had left with Shepard, and he plunged it through Leng's heart. "That's for Ali, you son of a bitch," he growled ripping the knife out after twisting it. Leng gagged then fell dead on the spot. Thane leaned down to check his pulse just to make sure he wouldn't rise a second time. There was no heart beat. The VI appeared again near the console and informed them that the Citadel was in fact the Catalyst. As luck would have it, when they arrived back on the Normandy, Hackett told them that the Citadel had been captured by the Reapers and brought to Earth where they could protect better.

When Ali saw Thane come out of the shuttle, she ran up and threw her arms around his neck. "I am so glad your okay," she breathed into his ear. He wrapped his arms around her waist not caring who might have been staring at them.

"I am fine, Siha. He barely laid a hand on me." This made her pout.

"Really? That makes me feel like I am rusty. Geez, I need to go out on more jobs with the guys." Thane chuckled brushing her hair out of her face.

"I only beat him so easily because you softened him up. His ribs were still broken, and he could barely use the leg you injured. Plus, he didn't have a gunship, and I had Shepard and EDI keeping his troopers off me."

"Still, you could have let him hit you a few times." He ran his fingers across her cheekbone.

"I will try to remember, Siha."

"Thanks." He kissed her chastely burying his hands in her hair.

"Man, you do not know how hard it was trying to contain that loco Pan," James said crossing his arms when they parted.

"Of that I have no doubt."

"I was worried," Ali murmured glowering at James.

"She was pacing the entire shuttle bay. I tried to stop her, and she threw me halfway across the bay. I am going to have bruises for at least a week. Plus on top of that, we had a two on one sparing match, and she fucked up my knee."

"I apologized."

"Bruises," he said with false severity and pointed to his knee.

"Siha, you might want to take it easy on the sparring injuries right before a big battle. Sparring with me is more equal."

"Hey, I was being soft on them. You're my boyfriend you're supposed to defend me," she scoffed.

"Soft? Hey, that wasn't cool, Shadow. There were two of us. And Liara is one of the strongest biotics I've ever met besides Jack. We can't help it if she's a freak of nature."

"Ali is a highly trained soldier with a number of specialties including hand to hand combat which I have a hard time matching at times especially when she is in battle mode. Thinking only two of you would take her down was ill conceived."

"Well, now that I know that firsthand. Ali, I am never sparring with you to take your mind off your nerves again." He tried to look and sound angry, but the glimmer of a smile was evident in his eyes.

"Maybe after this you won't have to," she said quietly making her hold on Thane tighter.


	21. Chapter 21

**Author's Note: Don't hate me. I actually almost didn't get to upload these today because I had a crisis at work. Our Internet went down, and I had things that needed to be submitted in like less than half an hour. Anyways, huge nightmare. So I am taking the time during my lunch break to wind down and put two chapters up. They are not as polished as I would have liked, but I do need to get these up today. **

** Just a note about the deviation from the story line. There is a mod out there called the MEHEM. If you haven't seen it and even if you like the ending you should look at it anyway. It's really a beautiful piece of artwork. It always amazes me how people can use the computer so expertly when all I do is yell at it when the Internet goes down or it sends a file to some random place. So that's what my ending to the battle of Earth is based on. I have even used a bit of the dialogue. **

** Here it is: the second of two chapters to be uploaded. Have a blast reading it and enjoy the weekend!**

* * *

"I haven't seen this place since I was seventeen, but it's still hard to see it like this," Ali said looking up at the ruined buildings. They were in the rebellion's headquarters in London waiting for Shepard to call for them. Thane was standing beside her with her hand clasped in his.

"I'm sorry, Siha. I could never contemplate how hard it is to lose your homeworld."

"This place stopped being my home when the Alliance tried to kill me," she said quietly. He squeezed her hand in sympathy. "My home is with you, Thane." He smiled shyly looking over at her, and her heart melted. Ali wrapped her arms around him laying her head against his chest. "It always will be."

"Whatever happens, Siha, I want you to know that I love you. I always will." He paused taking a deep breath and taking in her scent. "And should the worst come to pass, I will be waiting for you across the sea."

"I will meet you there without fail," she breathed reaching up to brush her lips against his.

"For the record, Ali, I am the one who won our little competition," Garrus said folding his arms over his chest.

"As if, Vakarian, I had you beat. I wasn't even a fraction the way into my stories," Ali retorted.

"Don't lie to yourself. You were running thin on material." She huffed rolling her eyes at him trying to hide her smile.

"Here's one for you, one night on my way home from work, a Drell assassin dropped out of nowhere and killed a Salarian who was farther down the street. He tried to kill me, but something stopped him; and he left me alone disappearing into the night. A few nights later, he appeared again only this time he protected me instead of attacking. As we fought for our lives, we went from the Citadel to Illium. From Illium to Thessia. On Thessia, the night before we headed to our expected deaths, we made love admitting we had developed feelings for each other. After making it through a rather harrowing battle, we went back to the Citadel where I made the biggest mistake of my life. I told the Drell that he had to leave, that we couldn't be together.

"Several years went past, they kept in contact, became friends even. The Drell got married, had an incredible son. I didn't really move on. I threw myself into work ignoring everything else almost forgetting about my love for the Drell. Then I found out the Drell's wife was murdered prompting me to face my feelings for him. But the Drell let me down when he shunned his son leaving him fatherless as he went to hunt the murderers.

"The next time I met him was on Illium. He was prepared to die that day. You see, he was all ready dying of a disease that is common among his people, so dying in a blaze of glory was attractive to him instead of fading away in a hospital. He didn't know what fate had in store for him. That day changed both our futures. That day he met Commander Shepard. It made their paths cross two more times on the Citadel before he left for a suicide mission. I waited with his son by my side after getting his email that he was heading into the Omega 4 Relay. When he came back to the Citadel, I was excited to have him back, but yet again, he disappointed me when he was resolved to die in silence instead of looking for a cure, a way to live. Of course, being the person she was, I couldn't stand around and let him accept his fate with stoicism. I went against his wishes and gave him a cure though temporary instead of letting him die of a stab wound inflicted by a bastard assassin which would ultimately be killed by said Drell.

"When Shepard asked them to join his crew on the Normandy, they fell in love all over again. Well, maybe they were always still in love. They just had to admit it to themselves."

"How does this story of yours end, Ali?" Garrus asked quietly. He was leaning against the wall listening to the story in earnest with calculating eyes.

"It's not over yet, and hopefully, it will have the conclusion: 'and they grew old together. Their lives were happy and fulfilled in each other's company, and nothing ever broke them apart again.'" There was a long pause during which Garrus just stared at her.

"I think you won," he finally murmured.

"You have Tali, Vakarian. Maybe we both won this one. Tie?" she asked holding out her hand to him.

"You're right. It definitely is a tie." Garrus shook her hand then wrapped his arm around Tali who sidled up beside him.

"Tali, it's good to see you before we head out. I am happy you and Garrus found each other. And I hope that maybe you will be able to build that house on Rannoch. You both deserve the rest after being with Shepard this whole time."

"That we do," Tali said looking up at Garrus. "Thank you, Ali. If we make it through this, we will all get a drink."

"I would like that very much."

"Ali, hey, I wanted to give you this before we head out. It's kinda bulky, but I thought it was small enough to fit in one of your pockets," Ashley said running up to her. She took out a small, thin book and handed it to her. "It's a collection of famous poems. I thought you would like it."

"Wow, thanks, Ash, this is incredible. I didn't think to get you anything. I'm sorry."

"Hey, no worries. I have my dad's copy of the same book. When I looked at it last, I thought of you. I was trying to think of the right time to give it to you, but it never felt right. This just does, you know. I also wanted to thank you for all the talks about literature. It made me fall in love with it again."

"Oh, Ash, thank you. Thane can talk philosophers all day, but when it comes to literature, he isn't as opinionated as you. I enjoyed our talks more than you would believe," Ali said pulling the Spectre into a hug. "Why do I feel like we are the light brigade charging into the sure death situation?"

"Probably because we are. But at least we didn't go gentle, right?"

"'Rage, rage, against the dying of the light,'" Ali murmured looking at the distance explosions. Ashley smiled knowing that they were kindred spirits of the literature world and squashed the need to make even more allusions to the great poets of their world. Instead she wrapped her arm around Ali's shoulder and looked into the distance.

"Dr. T'Soni, how are you?" Ali asked walking up beside the Asari.

"I am confident that the Crucible will work. Shepard will fight until his dying breath to get rid of the Reapers."

"This is it then."

"Yes, it is." They were silent for a time before Ali broke it.

"Was it worth it? If you had just kept your head to the ground, you could have just been studying Protheans all this time. You could have been blissfully unaware for years before dying relatively painlessly."

"Yes, that could have been a possibility. But then I wouldn't have met Shepard. I wouldn't have met the man I was destined to fall in love with."

"Love is definitely a plus."

"Yes, it is. In all my years, I never thought that I would find a man quite like him. I always thought it would be some boring scientist who was just as obsessed with the Protheams as I am." This made Ali chuckle.

"Well, I suppose Shepard is a step up from some scientist loser." She laughed also.

"I hope that after this we will be able to continue exchanging information. Same rules apply?"

"Yes, same deal."

"I wish you luck, Ali. Thane is quite the find. I am glad that you reconciled."

"I am too. And thanks. I hope to be communicating regularly with the Shadow Broker and maybe beating her in the information department at least once."

"Like that will ever happen."

"Can't blame a girl for having at least one impossible goal." Liara smiled at her before walking away to meet up with Shepard.

"James," she greeted as she walked up to him and Thane.

"Hey, Pan."

"I must ask. What does the nickname mean?" Thane asked.

"The first day I was aboard the Normandy he claimed that I was a cat for sleeping in the rafters of the shuttle bay. Pan is short for Panther." He nodded a smile touching his lips.

"Come on, admit that you love it."

"It's better than 'boss,'" she muttered. When James cocked his head, Thane answered his silent question without hesitation.

"That's what some of her team insists on calling her. She hates it." James started grinning like an idiot at the thought of someone calling her boss.

"Just keep calling me what you call me, please," she said before he could continue.

"You know, I actually started to miss you in the shuttle bay. I would look up at the window you insisted on opening expecting to see you there brooding."

"I was not brooding. Just because I like looking out windows doesn't mean I was brooding," she said with mock indignation.

"What were you doing then?"

"I was contemplating the answer to the greatest question of the galaxy of life and everything," she joked smiling at him. His eyes brows rose.

"And?"

"All I came up with was forty-two." She really tried to keep a straight face after she said, but James' face was too much for her. "You'll have to read that book when this is all over. I'll send it to you. After you read it, you'll want to carry a towel around with you for a while."

"Okay, Pan. Now my curiosity is piqued." Thane looked over at her with a questioning face.

"Do you want me to let you borrow my copy assuming it survives up there on the Citadel?" He nodded slowly making her bit her lip to hide her smile. "Okay."

"Looks like Shepard is ready. Does anyone want to kick some Reapers off our planet?"

"Yes, it's been a while since I have killed anything challenging. I need fun."

"Yeah, since you killed that Destroyer all by yourself." She smiled and nodded humbly. He turned to see Shepard wave his arms indicating that they were to meet up. "Good luck, you two," James said turning and leaving their group.

"You too, James."

"Yes, good luck," Thane said quietly.

He looked deep in thought, his hands folded behind his back as he looked over the destruction without seeing it. It reminded her of when she met him all those years ago. He had always stood with that disciplined rigidity. "What's wrong, Thane?" she murmured.

"Nothing, I was praying for everyone's protection. I was also praying for all the people who died in the shuttles that didn't make it here. There will be a rather large crowd on the shores of the sea today."

"Hopefully we will not add to it."

"Agreed, Siha."

"I'm not sure what Shepard and Admiral Anderson have planned, but I sincerely hope that I can take out a few Reapers before they use the Crucible." He smiled at her.

"I hope so too. It was quite breath-taking watching you take out the Destroyer." His eyes darkened for a moment as he relived that memory made all the more vivid by his marking her. It felt like a life time ago.

"Are you ready, Sere Krios?"

"Yes, I am, Siha." Thane pulled her to him tugging roughly on her side ponytail to bring her face to his and kissed her hard their tongues tangling for a few desperate moments before they both headed to the burned out building.

"This war has brought you here today," Shepard started when the whole team was gathered together. "It will define each of you. You might be a brother to someone, a daughter, a son; but today you are a soldier. The Reapers gave you a purpose and you accepted the challenge. You all chose to be here. Each of you chose to stand and fight. One way or another, this war ends today. There will be no second chances and no room for mistakes. Each of you needs to be willing to die to win the day. Anything less and you're all ready dead. Expect no mercy, show no mercy. You fight or you die." When Shepard finished, Ali had sunk into battle mode, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw Thane's eyes were hard. Her breathing slowed, and she felt the bloodlust unfurling inside her. "I'm taking James and Liara with me. The rest of you will go in teams with the other squads."

"I've never seen you actually go into battle with the SMG," Thane murmured when they were in one of the trucks.

"I like pistols because there is no chance of collateral if you know what you're doing. In this case, I want to do maximum damage with the most amount of bullets in less than a minute," she said emotionlessly. Her eyes didn't meet his, and they never stopped moving around the inside of the truck.

"I suppose that makes sense."

"Okay, troops, we're almost at the drop zone. You will all get out of the truck as soon as it stops and get to work clearing a path. Our purpose is to draw as many enemies away from the main zone. Take the pressure off so to speak. We want big body counts and to make lots of noise. Good luck, boys," the truck commander said then looked over at Ali. "And girl."

When Ali got out of the truck, she pulled out her knife. Thane paused at the sight of her before taking out his sniper rifle and indicating that she should go first. She was the picture of a predator with the SMG in one hand and her knife in the other and those eyes hard as flint. "I will be vanguard. You keep an eye on my back in case I am engaged with another target. I don't want a husk chewing on me," she said walking past all the men.

"Who died and made her boss?" the squad's commander scoffed after her. Thane put a hand on his shoulder shaking his head subtly.

"Peace, just follow her lead, and all your men should make it out alive. She knows what she's doing," he said before following Ali staying about twenty feet behind her.

The husks were dead ahead of them about fifty meters out. "Here, husks, husks, husks," she muttered a smile crossing her face. Several of them looked up and started their ambling run towards the rather small squad. "Please, keep the cannibals well back until I take care of all the husks," she said into her comm. Not waiting for a reply, she started running at the group of husks. Sending a spray of bullets into the fray, she took out the first row before reaching the rest. She stabbed the closest in the head shooting the one that charged in the face and kicking the one behind her breaking its neck. She spun bringing her knife in an upward arc cleaving the chest cavity of the next one and killing the next two with shots to the heads. A husk's head exploded who was coming up on her back. Switching her grip on her blade, Ali sliced through one's throat and bashed the last one's head in with the butt of her gun.

Looking up, Ali spotted the Cannibals and Marauders ahead of her. A quick count told her ten Cannibals and three Marauders. "Thane, you know my moves. I want the shields shot right before I get to them."

"I will make sure of it, Siha."

"And thanks for taking out that husk."

"Of course." She started to run again towards the slower Cannibals who were still climbing over the debris of London.

"Have the men covering my flanks but not near any of the Reapers." Diving over the first barrier, she brought her knife through the first Cannibal from groin to sternum pushing him away before mowing the next three down. The first Marauder rolled into her line of vision, and she dodged its stream of bullets before charging at it.

"Take out the shields now," Thane hissed into the comms. Ali watched as the shields were overloaded in a burst of blue. Before it could get the next shots off, she leapt over its head putting her gun to its back squeezing the trigger. It shrieked as a burst of three rounds went through him, and it fell dead. Sparing a split second to count the remaining Reapers, she spotted three more Cannibals and still two Marauders. She dived over another piece of rubble getting clean headshots on two more Cannibals burying her knife in the head of another Marauder just after its shields were overloaded. Ripping it out, she charged the next Marauder throwing the knife into its neck before making a line of bullets down its chest.

Ali leaned down taking the knife out of the Marauder's neck and cleaning it off on her leg. "Siha, behind you!" Thane shouted. Whirling around just in time to get the Brute's arm in the chest, she flew ten feet back before slamming into a still intact piece of building. She fell to the ground with a pained groan. She shook it off before getting to her feet and charging after the Brute. Getting its attention again with a few well aimed bursts of fire, Ali smiled slightly as she sprinted away from it heading towards a shelf of debris low enough that she could jump onto. Sliding her SMG back into place, she leapt onto the concrete throwing her weight far enough back that she flipped over the Brute's head and onto its back grabbing onto one of its many spines before it could throw her off as it started to struggle against her. Plunging the knife into the back of its skull, Ali held on tight as it shrieked trying to reach back and grab her. She dodged its arms and twisted the knife before rolling off as it fell forward. Turning she prepared to strike again, but the Brute groaned one last time before the death rattle shook its body.

"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, they never told me that I would have some superhero on my squad," the commander said walking up to her. Ali looked over at him with an indifferent look. Thane gently put his hand on her shoulder, and her head whipped around as her grip on her knife tightened.

"Siha, are you all right?" Her cold eyes met his as she assessed the situation in less than a few seconds.

"Yes, at most, it's a few bruised ribs nothing serious."

"Is anyone else shocked by this? She took out this entire mess of husks with basically no backup and that Brute with her bare hands."

"Lieutenant, I would recommend heading to our next zone," Thane said.

"This is our zone, and she just cleaned it out in less than ten minutes."

"Then we go to the next zone and help them out."

"Hey, can you hear me, Ali, Thane, anyone?" Joker called into the comm. Ali blinked, and the battle mode was gone. She staggered a little before Thane wrapped an arm around her shoulders steadying her.

"Yeah, Joker, what do you need?" she asked smiling faintly at the Drell.

"You might want to get to the beam or at least within sight of it."

"We're on our way." They glanced at each other each looking slightly scared. "Can you take care of this zone without us?" she asked the Lieutenant.

"Yeah, you got rid of them all. We'll just get some stragglers who were attracted to the smell of blood."

They nodded and sprinted back to the trucks. Taking one of the two, they started driving towards the beam.

"I am sending you a path to follow. You should run into no Reapers if you go this way," EDI said.

"Take the next left, Ali," Thane said looking down at his omni tool. In no time, they could see the beam over the next rise, and the two jumped out of the truck.

"There's Shepard and his team. It looks like that might be Admiral Anderson and his too," Ali said pointing down at the group of people.

"And I believe that is Harbinger," Thane said jerking his head towards the Reaper just touching down on the far side of the beam. They watched as Shepard, his team, and Admiral Anderson's team started their charge for the beam. Harbinger shot his main gun swathing a path through the trucks taking them all out. Ali's hand flew to her mouth, and Thane took her other squeezing gently.

A Mako was flipped by Harbinger's beam, and Shepard slid under it. Liara and James weren't so lucky and were thrown back by its subsequent explosion. The Commander ran back helping his squad back to the relative safety behind a truck. "Normandy, do you copy? I need an evac, right now!" he shouted into the comm. There was some almost indecipherable radio chatter then the Normandy came into view and touched down. Shepard helped Liara onto the ramp that lead into the shuttle bay James following behind them, and he reappeared starting his sprint towards the beam. Another few beams hit the ground as the Normandy took off.

"Resistance is irrelevant," Harbinger said as it watched the Normandy leave.

"Thane, I am coming by and keeping the bay open. Jump in when I pass."

"Copy that, Joker. We're standing by."

"You have failed," Harbinger said before sending a beam in front of Shepard. The entire ground shook as Shepard was killed in the blast.

"No," Ali screamed starting forward. Thane grabbed her around the waist holding her hard against his chest. "You bastard! I will kill you. Let me go, Thane." She struggled against him, but even with her genetic modifications, he was still stronger. When the Normandy slowly hovered up to them, he forced her onto the ramp and up into the shuttle bay.

"Siha, peace," Thane murmured once they were safe on board the Normandy.

"How can you say that?" Ali screamed at him. "We just watched Harbinger kill Shepard."

"This is not the place," he growled looking over his shoulder at Liara's devastated face. Chakwas was working on applying medi-gel to her wounds. James was sitting beside her.

"No, it didn't. The Reaper missed. Shepard just walked into the beam and Anderson just followed," Joker said over the intercom. Ali stopped struggling looking stunned.

"Siha, are you okay?" he asked quietly.

"Yes, I'm fine. I'm sorry, Liara. I wasn't thinking."

"It is all right, Ali. I just didn't know how much you cared. I was under the impression that you hated him," she said cocking her head slightly.

"I don't hate him, never have. He is the best hope for this galaxy. I was overcome."

"He was on your team, and you thought he died. You thought you had failed him, Siha." She smiled in spite of herself and shook her head.

"Yeah."

"Jesus, Pan, you're covered in blood," James said noticing seemingly for the first time. She looked down holding out her arms in front of her.

"None of its mine, James. It's all Reaper blood."

"How the hell did you get that much all over you? Were you bathing in it?"

"Ali, prefers to be the vanguard and get up in personal with the people she is fighting," Thane said trying and failing to hide a proud smile.

"So you killed all those husks with your bare hands." She snorted shaking her head.

"No, I didn't. I am not that bloodthirsty." Thane took her hand leading her away from the group until they were out of earshot.

"Are you sure you are okay, Siha?" he asked quietly.

"Yes, I'm perfectly fine."

"You went deep into battle mode this time. I was worried you weren't going to wake up."

"I was too."

"What would have happened?"

"I would have kept killing until no foes were within ten miles."

"How could I have helped?" She put a hand against his cheek and smiled faintly.

"Normandy to the Citadel," Joker said through the comms. "Please tell me that's you Commander."

"Is that you, Joker?" Shepard asked.

"Commander, I am picking up some strange readings. Really strange like off the damn charts. You need to get out of there." There was static coming from Shepard's end drowning out what Joker was saying.

"I'm not sure how to," Shepard started. He sounded tired like he was about to lose consciousness. "Joker…Go!"

"Shepard!"

"The arms are opening," Ashley said from the cockpit.

"All fleets the Crucible is armed. Disengage and head for the rendezvous point," Admiral Hackett ordered. Joker must have had the main comm to the Normandy routed through the intercom. Ali looked up and frowned.

"We're not leaving Shepard, are we?" Liara asked in a small voice.

"I repeat. Disengage and get the hell out of here."

"Liara, Joker wouldn't leave Shepard behind," Ali said looking to reassure Asari.

"No, we just have to," Joker started then was interrupted by another ship's comm.

"Normandy, this is Captain Flog of the SSV Nuremburg. Our vessel would like to stay around and assist." There was a pause during which Ali felt the subtle acceleration of the Normandy.

"Glad you're in charge. Thanks," Joker muttered after several seconds. "Hard on my flank. We're going in! Come on, girl, let's show them what we can do."

Ali felt the guns go off several times under their feet. "You had better take the shuttle for this mission." Liara was on her feet in an instant, but Chakwas wrestled her back down.

"Oh, no you don't, Dr. T'Soni."

"I've got this, Liara," Ali said squeezing Thane's hand. "James, with me." When Thane furrowed his brow at her, she smiled putting her hand against his cheek before nodding and heading to the shuttle which Cortez had all ready started up. Seconds later, they were out of the bay starting towards the Citadel. The Normandy shot ahead of them ready to deflect any attention from the shuttle.

"Connection reestablished. Analyzing. Sending coordinates for shuttle extraction," EDI said over the comms.

"Not those things again. Shit, shit, shit," Joker exclaimed.

"Shut the comm link to the Normandy off, Cortez. I don't want to hear it," she spat to which James nodded in agreement.

"Okay, coming in right beside the platform. Go," Cortez said. The two jumped out the open door with weapons raised. They quickly assessed the area taking in the three people lying on the ground. Ali jerked her head at Anderson, and James headed that way. She leaned down checked the Illusive Man for a pulse before going on to Shepard.

"Anderson is gone, Pan," James said quietly. She checked Shepard and was relieved when she felt his faint pulse.

"Shepard is still alive but barely," she said putting her gun away and picking him up fireman style. "We are taking Anderson's body with us. He doesn't deserve to be left here."

"Roger that," he grunted lifting up Anderson over his shoulder.

"Come on, let's get out of here."

When they got back in the shuttle, James laid Anderson at the back. Ali laid Shepard on the ground quickly scanning him with her omni tool. He was bleeding severely from a wound on his side and a gunshot wound to his shoulder. James knelt next to her as she took out her first aid kit and got to work. She put medi-gel on the wounds, but it didn't slow the bleeding. "James, keep an eye on his vitals," she muttered going deeper into her pouch.

"Joker, we've got Shepard," Cortez reported back.

"Might want to double time it, so we can leave before, you know, they blow the Normandy in half," he snarked back. Ali took out a blood clotting pack that had been used way back when and wasn't used much anymore. It hurt like hell but was effective. Breaking open the package with her teeth, she poured half the bag in the wound on Shepard's side before pouring the rest into both sides of his shoulder. Shepard groaned in pain. A few seconds later, James' eyes widened.

"Pan, he just flat lined," he said.

"Oh, no he doesn't. You're not getting off this easy. James start rescue breathing now." He nodded and started to resuscitate the commander. Ali took out her syringe of adrenaline and started cracking open the charred remains of Shepard's armor noticing with disgust that burnt flesh came off with it. She felt for a space between the ribs over his heart and pressed the end of the syringe against his skin. "This is going to hurt, Shepard," she growled before pushing the button. The needle shot out into his skin and into his heart delivering the adrenaline into his bloodstream. Shepard shot up gasping for breath knocking James back slightly. Ali caught him before he could fall to the floor again and gently laid him out.

"He's back but barely," James said looking down at his omni tool.

"Come on, come on," Joker said over the comms.

"We're in the shuttle bay. Just waiting for them to close the airlocks," Cortez called over his shoulder.

"Securing airlocks and cargo bay doors," EDI said through the comm.

The shuttle doors opened, and Dr. Chakwas came in with a floating gurney on her flank. "I clotted his wounds because they were bleeding pretty bad. He flat lined on the way back, but we brought him back through rescue breathing and a shot of adrenaline. His pulse is weak and a little tachy," she said as they moved Shepard to the gurney.

"Good work, Ali and James," she murmured before heading out of the shuttle with the gurney and Shepard in tow heading for the elevator. Liara hobbled up to the gurney and followed the group into the elevator before the doors closed, and it shot up to the crew deck.

"Siha, are you all right?" Thane asked putting a hand on her lower back. She wiped the hair out of her face smearing blood on her forehead.

"Yeah, I am just glad one of them made it out alive." James came out of the shuttle with Anderson's body over his shoulder. He reverently laid him on the floor before grabbing a blanket and draping it over his body. The people who remained in the shuttle bay crowded around the body bowing their heads in respectful silence for the great man who had fallen.

"Stein, can you hear me?" she asked at the comm terminal in the war room. She had asked the second in command which was Liara at this moment because Shepard was still being kept unconscious in the med bay, and she had given her the necessary clearance.

"Hey, boss, you did it," he exclaimed with a huge grin on his face. She sighed rolling her eyes.

"Quit calling me that."

"Oh, yeah, sorry, ma'am."

"How is everyone?"

"Everyone except me was sent down to Earth. I was kept here because I was comm specialist, and well, I'm me. The team was split into two, fourteen on each, I made sure they weren't sent in with Hammer because quite frankly, most of them would have been killed in a second. They were part of a under the radar tactical team which were dropped farther back and made their way into enemy territory on foot."

"And Kolyat?" Stein laughed looking proud.

"You should have seen him, ma'am. He was incredible. You can tell Thane to be proud of his boy," he said with a huge grin splitting his face.

"At least that's some good news. Any casualties?" she asked getting to what really mattered.

"Ten were mildly injured, two severely but will live, and two were killed." Her stomach dropped, and taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes.

"Who?"

"Danny and Riz." There was a long pause during which Stein shifted uncomfortably.

"Were their bodies recovered?" she asked quietly.

"Yes, I gave them specific orders to bury them when the fighting was over. I believe they were buried somewhere right outside of London in a park. It's quite beautiful. I think they would have approved. Ma'am, they died for what they believed in not because you ordered them to fight. We were all given a chance to leave or stay with Danny in command when we didn't hear from you after Thessia."

"I apologize. There was so much going on, and we went right to Cerberus from Sanctuary. I am sorry, I didn't give you orders."

"Danny said that there was probably a good reason. He gave us all a choice. We could run away or fight for the galaxy. He gave a very good speech. You would have been proud."

"I am always proud of you guys."

"I will have to pass that along, ma'am."

"Where is everyone now?"

"I am still on Admiral Hackett's ship, but the rest of the team is on Earth in London awaiting orders."

"Okay, here's what I want done. They are to assist the Alliance in clean up, but it is to be made clear that they do not fall under Alliance command. You are my people and will be only following my orders. If they try to throw their weight around, put the Alliance officers in touch with me, and I will take care of it."

"Yes, ma'am," he said typing the instructions down on a datapad. "Anything else?"

"One more thing. Stein, from now on, you're my second in command."

"I am taking Danny's spot? Are you sure that's wise?" He looked concerned.

"You are a good man, Stein. You deserve it as long as you resist this urge to call me boss. Someone has to take his place. I can't think of anyone better qualified." She smiled gently at him trying to assure him.

"_Thank you for the drinks, Stein. You didn't have to do that for me," Ali said leaning against the door to her apartment. He smiled at her and stuffed his hands into his jean pockets. _

"_You deserve it, boss, I know what he did to you." She gave him a look. "Sorry, my mouth gets lose after a couple drinks, ma'am." _

"_I think you just earned the right to call me Ali, Gerry."_

"_Really? How did I manage that?"_

"_You've been here," she said quietly. His crystal blue eyes searched hers before he slowly leaned towards her looking for any signs that he was overstepping. Stein gently ran his fingers through her hair before tracing her jaw bone and grabbing her chin. He softly kissed her pulling back to see her reaction. Ali grabbed his jacket lapels bringing her to him. He wrapped an arm around her waist and quickly hit the access button to her apartment. _

Ali shook herself out of the memory though it wasn't entirely unpleasant. Stein had been there when she had no one else to turn to. She loved him on some level, but she had never loved anyone as much as her Drell. They had slept together several times during the twenty years that she was alone. She didn't make him second because he was too close, and she didn't want the team thinking she was playing favorites. But it had been years since they had been together, so she wasn't afraid.

"Thank you, ma'am, that means a lot."

"This means that in case I am out of contact and decisions need to be made, you're in charge of it along with all the consequences."

"You just took the possible fun out of it," he whined and let himself pout. One thing Stein was good at was knowing that he was a very handsome man and using it to his complete advantage. She smiled in spite of herself.

"I don't know when I will get back to Earth. The relays were badly damaged in the blast. Until then we will keep contact this way or through email. I will try and get back as soon as possible."

"Yes, ma'am, looking forward to seeing you again. This whole just us thing kind of sucks."

"Well, it's always good to think you miss me."

"And, ma'am," he started before she clicked off the comm.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks for saving the galaxy."

"No problem. Over and out."


	22. Chapter 22

**Author's Note: This chapter is mostly just a bit of fluff before heading into the third and final part of my little randomness. Hope you have enjoyed thus far. **

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When she got to the elevator, the full realization that she lost two of her people hit her. Ali was barely able to hold back the deluge of despair that hit her. The area around the med bay was alive with activity of all the crew waiting for news about Shepard. She ignored the group heading towards Life Support. Wanting to be alone to try and make sense of the loss, she opened the door knowing Thane wasn't there. She heard his voice amongst the others. Sitting on his futon and pushing herself into the corner, she buried her face in her knees feeling the dam break and her tears come.

That was how Thane found her five minutes later. He wrapped his arms around her pulling her into his lap. He pulled her hair out of her face kissing away her tears. "Siha, what has happened?" he kept murmuring quietly pulling her closer. Ali kept crying until she had no more tears to spill and was left exhausted and coughing in his arms. Closing her eyes, she pressed her face against his chest not caring that the buckles of his armor were biting into her cheek and forehead.

"I lost two of my people down on Earth," she finally said shakily.

"Oh, Siha, I am so sorry."

"One was my second in command." His grip tightened subtly, and his hand idly stroked her back. He knew he couldn't make this better with words. "Stein said your son did you proud though. He said Kolyat was something to see." A smile touched his lips but was gone the next second.

"I'm glad to hear it." Looking up into his handsome face, Ali reached up and brushed her lips against his barely touching him.

"I love you," she breathed meeting his dark, concerned eyes.

"I love you, Siha."

"How is Shepard?" she asked changing the subject before she started crying again.

"Still asleep. Dr. Chakwas is going to keep him under until most of his burns are healed. She also had to cut a lot of his skin off when she removed his armor. It had been melted into his tissue. She has to wait to get more skin grafts from a medical station. That's where we are headed now."

"Great, how long will it take to get here?"

"A while since there are no mass relays still in commission. We left Earth's system when we outran the blast."

"Will he last that long?"

"Dr. Chakwas doesn't know."

Ali looked out at the drive core and absently stroked her own arm. He frowned then realization widened his eyes. "No, Siha, you have done enough. You saved his life on the shuttle and on that planet with the Destroyer. You even saved his life on Thessia. Why are you willing to risk everything for someone you don't even like?" he asked forcing her to look at him.

"He deserves it."

"And you don't? This fight wasn't even yours before me."

"Thane, I have a greater chance at surviving than he does. Shepard doesn't deserve to die in a hospital bed." Pain filled Thane's eyes before he closed them.

"Siha," he started, but she silenced him with a deep kiss.

A growl rumbled in the back of his throat as he surrendered to her ferocity with his own. Burying his hands in her hair, Thane pulled her head father back before pushing her down onto the mattress pinning her under his weight. His growl lowered until she couldn't hear it anymore but could feel the vibrations ripping through his chest. He grabbed her hands holding them to either side of her head, so she couldn't move them. She responded by biting his lip hard. He jerked back licking his lip where she had bitten him. "You're trying to distract me," he murmured.

"Is it working?" she teased. "It's not just a distraction for you. It's for me too."

"Yes, it is working very well. Are you sure you have to do this for Shepard?" She nodded stroking his cheek as he leaned into her touch.

"Is this a taste of your rough?" He chuckled looking down at her.

"Yes," he admitted giving her a small shy smile. She kissed him again pulling him close.

"I like it," she murmured before pushing him off playfully and heading towards the door.

"May I be there, Siha?"

"Of course."

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Dr. Chakwas asked after Ali told her what she wanted to do for Shepard.

"I have more of a chance of surviving. I heal faster than he does. You know as much as I do that someone with over fifty percent of their skin removed or burned will rarely survive. We have to give him a chance, Karen." Chakwas sighed knowing that even if she continued to argue, Ali would get what she wanted anyways.

"Exactly, to replace even enough of his skin to give him a chance of surviving, I could kill you."

"No, you won't. I am too strong and have too much to live for. They made it so I am a universal donor. I can give him my blood and skin. And since it's been modified, it will save him sooner than a regular skin graft. Karen, you have to." Chakwas looked over her shoulder at Shepard who was lying on one of her tables. She sighed again running her hand through her short gray hair.

"Okay, Ali. We'll give this a shot." She pushed the button to frost the windows. "Get undressed. I'll get my instruments ready."

"You'll wake up before you know it, Ali," Chakwas said putting in the IV. She smiled her warm motherly smile running her thumb in a quick stroke on Ali's forearm.

"I trust you, Karen," she murmured feeling the drowsiness creep up on her. She looked across the room where Thane was standing in the corner and smiled faintly. Per Chakwas' orders, he was behind a protective screen. She had sterilized the entire room including the air for this operation.

"Count back from ten, dear."

"Ten, nine," she started before falling asleep. Chakwas injected her with a few more needles before taking a deep breath and making her first cut.

"Okay, that's as much as I can safely take from her. She was right about her skin healing Shepard quickly. I don't see any complications at all, and Shepard's vitals are starting to look better," Dr. Chakwas said after several hours of removing Ali's skin and grafting it onto Shepard. "Her vitals are steady as well, and from what I can tell, she is all ready showing signs of healing. It's amazing. I wish I could know what they did to her to make her this way."

"You really don't," Thane murmured from where he was standing beside Ali's bed. Both she and Shepard were in a sterile field that couldn't be permeated from the outside.

"Thane, she is going to be out for a while. I can call you if her condition changes."

"I couldn't leave even if I wanted to. I would just be wishing I was here with her."

Looking out through the floor to ceiling windows of the living room, Ali took a sip of hot tea and breathed deeply. Thane sat down beside her with a smile gracing his lips. "How are you feeling?" he asked putting an arm around her.

"Still a little itchy, but that's to be expected." He chuckled and lifted her shirt gently tracing the fading scars crossing her abdomen. "These are going to be pretty cool scars to add to my collection. Don't you think?"

"They will be interesting I have no doubt."

"Hey, boss," Stein said coming into the room.

"Stop calling me that, or I will lay you out." He laughed taking out the carton of milk from the fridge and drinking it straight from there. "Oh, God, Stein, not from the carton."

"You know this place is pretty great. How come it's close to the city but not destroyed?"

"Because the Reapers knew that if they hurt my house, I would have killed them personally. I am not to be messed with, Stein." He chuckled conceding the point and changing the subject.

"How much longer do we have to stay here?" he asked flopping down on a chair across the table from them.

"Just until they fix the Citadel, Stein. You have only been here for a week, get over yourself." She looked out at the ocean again finding herself smiling. "Who put you in charge? You're such a whiner."

"Oh, well, that would be you, ma'am. We never said you were smart."

"That we did not." Thane kissed the top of her head breathing in her scent. It seemed he could not let her go since they got back to Earth. It was like he thought she was going to be whisked away from him. And she was loving every second of it. Ali nestled farther into his body laying her head on his shoulder.

"Dad, do you have to cuddle with your girlfriend around me?" Kolyat muttered walking into the kitchen making himself something to eat before sitting down in one of the chairs.

"I apologize, Kolyat," he murmured, but there was a smile in his eyes. His son narrowed his eyes but smiled in spite of himself when he met Ali's gaze.

"It's okay, Thane. He's just jealous that you are stealing all my attention," she teased winking at Kolyat.

"Well, Kolyat, are you ready to actually go to work? We both know that Ali has just been lying around doing nothing since she got back," Stein said getting up when he saw the rest of his team head out the front door.

"I'm sorry that I basically brought Commander Shepard back to life, Stein, has it made your job harder?" He paused as if to think.

"Yeah, that's what I am saying."

"Just go out and do your job before I give it to Kolyat." He raised his hands in surrender and walked out the front door.

"That was the last of them, thank God. I love these people, but I cannot keep seeing them all day every day. I am not to be held accountable for any actions in the future," Ali muttered.

"Are you going to tire of me, Siha?" She smiled and looked up at him.

"Never."

"For that I am very pleased." He ran his nose along hers and brought her closer to nibble gently on her earlobe. She giggled closing her eyes and leaning into him.

"I am so happy right now," she breathed. Looking up at her, Thane's brow furrowed with confusion.

"Why?"

"Because I am here with you. I don't have to worry about the galaxy having to be saved or taking care of business for my guys. Though I would rather it just be you and me here, this is truly amazing."

"I am glad that you are happy."

"Aren't you?"

"Whenever I feel your skin against mine or smell your scent in the air, you're like my own drug. You give me this euphoric feeling. I love you, Siha." Ali smiled up at him playing with the hem of his loose shirt. The fabric was different from the usual water resistant fabric of Kahje. It was a little thicker than his other ones but was so much softer. "You're still not up to your full strength. We should wait until Doctor Chakwas gives you the go ahead."

"I have to wait to have sex with my boyfriend because a doctor says so?" A smile played at his lips and shown in his eyes.

"Yes."

"That is just not fair."

"Do you want to go to the beach today?" he asked changing the subject.

"I am not allowed in the water. Plus you will barely let me walk around the house on my own." He moved a lock of hair aside with a finger running it down her cheek.

"I didn't say in the water. I said to the beach." She nodded, and he got to his feet bending over and picking her up princess style. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pressed her face into his neck as he headed out the open door heading over the rocky shelves to the beach.

Ali slowly got out of bed trying not to stir Thane in his sleep. She pulled on a coat and silently left the room. The sun was just a golden haze on the horizon, and the temperature was dropping quickly with the coming dawn. The house was in a hush, and she sighed to herself. What more could she ask for? Her team was safe and sleeping, and she had Thane in her bed again. Now why couldn't she get more than a few hours of sleep?

The outer walls of the house were mostly panes of glass showing off the landscape beyond. Outside the gray waves of the choppy sea were lapping at the shelves of rocks above the shore. Her breath came out in white puffs of vapor as she made her way down to the shore. Still, she wasn't technically allowed in the water because she was still healing from all the skin she gave Shepard. It was weird. Usually she was able to heal in a few days, but because Chakwas had flooded her with normal blood after the transplant, her own blood was being slow in reproducing. Not that she minded. The longer Thane believed she needed to be coddled, the more she would let him.

Sitting down on the rock shelf, Ali glanced up and down the shore. It was still amazing to her that this part of England had barely been touched. Compared to London, this place didn't see any of the destruction of the Reapers. Still the bodies that kept showing up was a reminder that some people weren't as lucky as the rest of them. Whereas Ali had only lost two of her people, families had been destroyed or torn apart or worse if there was a worse out there. The chill air of Northern England was slowly seeping into her skin making her shiver ever so slightly.

Then a sound in the darkness drew her attention. There was a faint scratching on the rocks and the sound was getting closer like whatever was making it was coming closer. Cursing herself silently, she searched the predawn darkness. Eventually a black and white blob separated itself from the gloom still making his way towards her. Ali knew she should probably get up and ready to defend herself, but that normal tingle at the back of her neck wasn't moving her into action. She decided to stay where she was. There were no more Reapers to be afraid of. No more big bads to fight and kills. She had nothing to worry about, right?

A small gleam of the sun finally shot across the sea lighting up the landscape. She almost laughed aloud at what was before her. The shaggy border collie cocked its head at her and abruptly sat down like he was just as shocked to see her there as she was to see him. "Hey, there, old boy. What are doing out this early in the morning? And this far away from any other homes?" she asked turning to face him. The dog shook itself and she winced to see that most of his black hair was gray. The dog was also limping severely like all his limbs were crippled with arthritis. She could tell he used to be quite a beautiful animal as well. About a year ago, he was probably herding sheep with his master, but the Reapers had not been kind to him. Now he was old and broken. Kind of how she felt.

Without thinking, Ali held out her hand to him palm up trying to tell the dog that she wasn't going to hurt him. "Come here. Come sit by me. I promise I won't bite." The dog cocked his head again and his nose twitched as he reached out to sniff her hand. "Come on. Nice and easy," she murmured. The border collie walked up to her and immediately sat next to her with an enormous groan and a great creaking of bones. He placed his head across her legs and sighed. She slowly started stroking his head and scratching his ears as they both watched the sun rise. Glancing down, she saw that his cater act filled eyes were closed, and he was leaning into her ministrations. "You were just looking for a friendly hand to stroke your fur, weren't you? You've probably had it rough for the last year. Your master disappeared. You whole life was turned upside down, and you had no idea what was going on. I'm glad that I am here to fulfill your final wish, old boy. I just wish I knew your name." She glanced down again to see that he had opened his eyes and was staring up at her. His ears were tilted forward picking up everything she said. Like everything she said was the wisest thing he had ever heard.

Looking down at her own arm, Ali could see all the ugly scars making a grid pattern on her pale skin. She knew the scars covered most of her body, and sometimes they actually hurt kind of like phantom pains from a missing limb. Startling her slightly, the dog started the licking her arm in the exact places that the scars marked her like he knew that was what she was thinking about. "You're a good boy," she breathed lifting his face to look directly into his eyes. She scratched the spot right between his eyes, and he closed his eyes panting in pleasure. "Good boy."

They sat in companionable silence for another hour just looking out at the sea as the sun leached color back into the landscape. England had always been one of her favorite places. The rolling hills covered in green grass. The sea ever changing from gray to blue. Even the weather was all beautiful to her. She could see herself living out the rest of her life here in this house, but deep down, she knew she had to return to the Citadel. "Siha, what are you doing out in the cold like this?" Thane asked from behind the two of them. The border collie lifted its head from her lap to assess the new person, but she cooed a few soothing words to the dog; and he put his head back down on her legs as she continued to scratch it.

"I couldn't sleep and figured I could enjoy the sunrise," she explained not looking back at him. Ali instead felt him sit down next to her. An ever present warmth in her life. She leaned against him and the dog subconsciously followed her movements.

"Who is your new friend?" he asked pressing his lips into her hairline.

"I don't really know. He doesn't have a collar. But he decided to join me, and after the year he had, I figured he could use the warmth of some human love." She frowned to herself, and he unconsciously tightened his grip on her waist. The dog sighed but closed his eyes and leaned into Ali's fingers.

"What is it, Siha?"

"I think he's dying, Thane."

"How do you know?"

"I just do. You should have seen him when he walked up. He could barely walk, and who knows how long he had been walking before he found me. Sometimes pack animals like him just seek out a loving being whether human or animal to keep it company as it dies. It's a comfort thing. I know how it feels. I always seek comfort when I think I'm going to die." Ali stroked his fur moving down his neck and to his back. His tail flopped about slightly like he was trying to wag it but just couldn't find the energy. "I don't even think he can get back up."

"Siha-"

"No, I want to stay here with him. At least until the end. I know he's a good boy, and he deserves all the respect in the world." Thane sighed slightly and ran his fingers through her hair.

"You never cease to amaze me. I love you."

The three of them sat like that watching the sun make its journey into the sky. The dog moved his paw into her lap pressing it against her thigh, and she took it as a doggy thank-you. He pushed his nose into her hand as he started panting ever so slightly. "Easy, boy. Everything is going to be all right," she breathed. His ears perked up before falling to the side of his face. His eyes were looking up at her half pleading and half thanking her. In the few early morning hours that she had spent with this dog, she felt like he found her friendship without even trying.

All at once, the dog stopped breathing. Ali felt a sob rising in her throat but fought it down pressing her face into Thane's chest. "Thane?" she asked after a few minutes.

"Hm?"

"What if I end up like him?" She could feel his frown against her forehead.

"What are you talking about?"

"At any moment, everything can be ripped from your life so easily. The Reapers were completely unknown to this animal. He wouldn't have understood why everyone in his life suddenly were taken away from him maybe worse and turned into husks. He probably stayed at his home for months tending the sheep, taking care of them. Then he felt like it was time, and he left his home to find someone to be with as his life drew to a close. I don't even know this poor soul's name. And we will never know half the people who died on this planet. The Reapers took so many. They will lie in nameless graves for all eternity.

"We lead dangerous lives, Thane. I have no illusions of how this life is going to end. And I will probably welcome it with open arms. The great sleep. I don't want to be the person buried in a nameless grave with no one mourning me. I don't want to be alone." He smiled gently down at her.

"I swear to you that you will never be alone again. I won't let that happen to you."

"And if you die before me?"

"Then it won't matter for I will be waiting for you across the sea," he murmured before pressing his lips against hers cutting off any further argument she might have had.

Thane insisted that he dig the grave to bury the nameless dog because Ali was still on the mend. She huffed at first but found solace in the fact that she could hold the body longer before laying him to rest. She ran her fingers through his matted and dirty fur telling him whatever came to mind. She told him about her, about Thane, even about everything that had happened in the last year. Then when words failed her, she recited poems or song lyrics using other people's words to serve her purpose. "Siha, it's time," he said gently crouching in front of her. She smiled sadly at him and rose from the ground gently setting the dog's head down.

He had removed a few stones from the cobblestone garden area in the back of the house and had dug a marginally deep whole for the size of the dog underneath the large, flat stones. With great care, Thane lifted the dog into his arms and lowered him into the hole. Looking for her approval first, he started filling the hole with dirt until there was a mound then he patted it down.

Her team had all ready left through the front door so they had no audience as they gave this grave to a dog they didn't even know. "Do you wish to say anything, Siha?" he asked putting the shovel down and wiping sweat from his brow. It was a cool morning, but he wasn't exactly used to digging graves. She held up a finger signaling him to wait and went into the house. A few minutes later, she came out with a cylindrical tube in her hand. Picking up one of the large stones, she started carving letters into it with what looked like a laser. Smiling at her work, she set it down on the mound of dirt where the dog's head would have been. Thane's brow furrowed as he read it. "What does Muujiza mean?" he asked looking over at her.

"It's Swahili, a native language of some countries in Africa. It means 'miracle.' I think that Muujiza was a miracle for surviving the Reaper invasion so close to London and for finding me in this wilderness." He smiled at her and pulled her into his embrace.

"That's very fitting, Ali."

"Thanks, Thane. And thank-you for sitting with me."

"You need never thank me for being with you, Siha. I love you, and I want to spend all my time with you."

"Sounds kinda suffocating to be honest," she teased. He jerked her hair making her look up into his face.

"Alisa," he warned before kissing her.

"How did you know my name? I never told you." He smiled and put his finger to his lips. She pouted knowing she would never get the answer out of him before he was ready. "Sounds perfect. When do we start?"

"Right now."

"Yay," she murmured before kissing him again letting him pick her up and move back into the house. Glancing over her shoulder, she smiled back at the grave silently thanking her friend for everything he had done for her in so short a time.

"Are you sure you can survive not doing anything and just living the simple life?" she teased when Joker let them off on the Citadel when the engineers gave the all clear. It had been close to a year of them living with the team in the house on the shore of the British Isles. The halls were sparkling and new giving off a weird sterile vibe, but they had kept the apartments basically exactly how they had found them only repairing what needed to be repaired and leaving.

"Can you?"

"Well, I have a group of assassins and soldiers to run. So I am not living the simple life so to speak." He chuckled and ran his hand up her spine teasingly.

"I hope I can impress you with my aptitude of being sedentary."

"You better not get fat, Sere Krios." Thane stopped grabbing hold of her hand and pulling her to him. Her bag hit the floor as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I wouldn't dream of it." He kissed her forehead before moving down to her mouth. People stared at the couple as they hurried on past.

"You two are adorable," Ashley whispered as she passed. Ali laughed looking over her shoulder. The Specter glanced back smiling wide. "I'll be seeing you later. Maybe we can have a drink at the bar after I report to the Council."

"Sure thing, Ash, just email me." Ali looked back up at the Drell pressing her lips to his before letting go of him and picking up her bag. "I can't wait to finally be in my apartment with no people always walking through it. And to finally have you all to myself," she called over her shoulder with a wink. Thane grabbed his bag as well from where he dropped them and followed her with a knowing smile plastered on her face.


	23. Chapter 23

**Author's Note: And this begins Part 3. I am still working on the final fifty(ish) pages with adding in the new villain, so it's more seamless. It may take a while since I have work and school and am finding it difficult to remember/have time to edit/have time to upload a new chapter for you guys, so I am sorry in advance. Plus I was pulled mercilessly into obsession with Supernatural which I just started Season 4. And I hope some of you know how that goes. I get depressed if I don't see at least one episode after work or school. Anyways, here endeth the rant, enjoy the chapter though it's a little short. The next one is longer I believe. **

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Ali leaned against the railing looking out at the beauty of the Presidium. She usually conducted her business here because it was so open and airy. She hated sitting in an office for any period of time, and the Apollo Café was one of the few places that didn't have security feeds. Commander Bailey and the rest of C-Sec didn't bother her just like before this whole business with the Reapers, and she made sure of that by helping them out with escaped criminals or serial killers every once in a while. She had just sent out one of her assassins to take care of a particularly nasty gang leader who was causing a lot of trouble in outer council space. Melissa had been pissed off about being passed over for the last job, so Ali figured she would throw the girl a bone. It was always smart to keep her people happy even if it meant bypassing her own rules.

Arms encircled her waist bringing a smile to her lips. "What were you thinking about?" Thane whispered against her ear. She entwined her fingers with his.

"About how much I don't want to be here. I want to be home in your arms."

"I believe and appreciate the sentiment, but that wasn't what you were thinking about."

"Truthfully, work mostly," she said turning in his arms and wrapping her arms around his neck. "I just sent Melissa on a job, and I am worried about her. As time goes on, she is getting colder and deadlier. You should have seen the bodies that popped up after her last mission. I thought maybe taking her out of the field for a few weeks would help, but she just got worse. I will have to figure out some way to get through to her. The other persona is taking over. Plus I have two requests from Commander Bailey that I have to assign people to before the day is out." He chuckled looking like he was holding back a full laugh. "I am rambling. Stressed humans do that."

"What can I do to help?" She thought for a second letting him draw her closer. She smiled and kissed him deeply. A hum went through his chest sending tingles up her spine and for some reason focusing on the mark on her shoulder.

"I think that helped a little."

"I am here to assist you."

Ali moved her hands from around his neck to his chest. "How many people do you have out right now?" he asked looking down at her hands.

"Oh, just over half of them."

"Really? Half? Why do you have so many out?"

"Well, even if the Reapers were defeated a year ago, people are still scared, and when people are scared, they do stupid things. And I'm here to make sure that they don't do too much damage."

"You and your bigger purpose." He had a laughing tone as he gently ran his finger tips along her cheek bone.

"Well, I have to do something to make up for all the lives I have taken. You're one galaxy save up on me. I have to catch up somehow."

"I wanted to ask you something." Thane asked before burying his face in her hair. He loved the smell of that hair, and he took every opportunity to memorize it further.

"Anything." She felt his lips skim the outline of her ear.

"I am not exactly sure how humans do this, but from what Commander Bailey has told me, this is usually how it's done," he breathed before letting her go and grabbing her hands as he knelt on one knee.

Ali felt her eyes widen. Thane took out a tiny box and opened it showing her the ring that lay inside. His eyes didn't waver when he stared into hers. "Ali, my Siha, I have lived for a long time in a haze. Then I met you. I don't know how to describe what happened to me, but you brought me to life. I was living half a life before I met you. And I haven't given you much in return except for myself. I know it's not much. But will you accept me as your husband?" If her eyes could widen any more than they were, they would have.

"Oh, my god," she breathed. That was the only coherent thought that entered her mind at that moment. The only things that came into her mind was how much she loved the man in front of her and how long she had loved him, but she hadn't been expecting him to ask her to marry him. Not after what happened with his deceased wife. "Yes." That was the only other word that she could utter except bewildered choking noises which she wisely kept inside. Thane's smile was the biggest she had ever seen it as he slipped the ring on her left hand. He got to his feet picking her up and spinning her around before capturing her laughing mouth in his. A round of applause rose around them followed closely by a cheer. "I love you," she whispered against his cheek.

"I will let no one ever come between us again not even time or space."

"There will be nothing to keep us apart ever again," she said taking his face in her hands and placing his forehead against hers.

There was a high pitched whirring that suddenly split the air. Everyone looked up at a ship that dropped out of the sky above the Presidium. "How did that get past C-Sec?" Ali asked no one in particular. She felt Thane's arm encircle her waist his palm against her belly. He applied pressure trying to move her behind him, but she resisted instead forcing him to pull her harder against his chest. A beam shot out of the front of the ship and expanded into a scan that started at some of the higher apartments and made its way towards them. "I can't move, can you?"

"No, I can't make my legs work, and I can't access my biotics."

"What is it?"

Ali felt fear ice her veins, but she knew it wasn't for her life or for the people standing around them. She was terrified that she would be separated from her fiancé. The beam split into individual pulses landing on the chests of everyone standing in the Presidium commons decks. As one settled on her chest, all the others deviated and met the one on her chest. A light flashed blinding everyone then almost like a rope the beam tightened on her and yanked her from Thane's grasp. He managed to grab her wrist before the glass railing exploded outwards, and he caught one of the few remaining metal railings before both of them would have been pulled off the deck. "Thane, don't let me go," she yelled over the noise as the ship started to lift higher.

"I won't. I will never let you go." His grip started to loosen on the railing. "Even if this thing takes me too."

"Preparing to kill the organic who interferes," an electronic voice from the ship said aiming a laser at Thane's chest.

"No," Ali managed to scream before her instincts took over, and her knife was in her hand. In one swift move, she slammed it into his arm saying, "I love you." Against his will, his grip released, and she whipped into the ship door.

Rolling when she hit the floor and the beam released her, Ali examined her surroundings in one scan. The room was bigger than anything that could have been inside the ship that attacked her. "Confused?" Her head shot towards the noise, and a door opened to her right. "I just teleported you to my real ship. We are located in uncharted space." The man was squat with a full head of thick brown hair. His mouth was in a self satisfied smirk, but his eyes were full of inconsolable sadness. When she didn't reply, he continued ignoring the fact that teleportation technology didn't even exist. "You know, you were the only person in that entire place who has extensive genetic modification that you grew up with. You are the perfect subject, but we must get started before Phoenix starts to rise in power. And I just wanted to thank you in advance."

"There is no reason to thank me. Whatever you think you are going to do to me, I wish you luck. Because I will find a way to kill you and get out of here. You have no idea who you are fucking with."

"Language, Alpha, language. We'll have to work on that. I wish I could to let you go, but I am afraid that it's impossible."

"Then I will make you let me go."

"I'm sorry, but I can't allow that." Mechs came out of every shadow in the room and other doors. Rage burned through every vein in her body setting her on fire. Her eyes went dead as she leapt into action. Her strikes were so powerful that she crushed the heads of the mechs and decapitated them with a well placed punch or kick. Within several seconds, the pieces of mechs sputtered and sparked around her feet, and her gaze snapped up to the man. Without thinking, she charged at him faster than she ever had.

With a blossom of pain and blood, she fell to the ground holding her chest. The man lowered his pistol looking regretful. "Prep the med bay, we must ensure that she survives, so we can get started," he said to a mech behind him. With a nod, it disappeared. "What were you hoping to achieve by this?" he asked waving his arm in a general show of the room. "Do you know how important you will be for the future? You don't seem to understand the position I am in. I just hope that you will come to." Ali was struggling to get breath, and with every try, more blood dripped out of her mouth.

"What do you want?" she managed in broken splutters.

"I want to make you powerful enough to save the galaxy. You are about to embark on an incredible journey."

"Take me back," she spat in one last act of defiance. He closed his eyes seemingly in incredible emotional suffering.

"I saw that Drell back there. You two seemed genuinely happy. When I watched that scene, I had no idea that you would be the one I needed. I can only promise that you will not remember him and have to live with the pain of losing him." She choked and gagged trying to get more oxygen into her blood. This must have been what Thane felt like when he still had Kepral's. A gurney pushed by two mechs came through the door and pulled up beside the man. "Help me get her on it. We don't have much time."

As they started to wheel her down the hall, Ali's vision started to darken. All she could think about was escaping and getting back to Thane, so she could marry him. Her finger ran over the band of her engagement ring. It had been so beautiful sitting in that box. True the trio of diamonds had been small, but she had known that he had done that on purpose because she wouldn't have been able to fight with something that caught on everything. She knew that Drell didn't propose like he had done to her, so he must have done his research to find it out. That means Bailey had helped him, and she had to live to beat the crap out of him. The pain in her chest was only lessened by the pain of losing Thane maybe forever. Why couldn't her life be normal like everyone else's? Sure, she would be bored, but she would be happy with Thane as her companion. As the lights dimmed even more though she knew they had entered the med bay, and the lights there would have been even brighter. "Thane," she managed to whisper before she lost consciousness.


	24. Chapter 24

"Alert, alert, facility under attack. Head immediately to the escape pods."

"Hey, wake up!" Ali's eyes flew open, and she took one gasping breath. She was freezing, but she was alive. Energy flowed through her as she sat up through the broken glass above her. "Get moving. Go down the hall and to the right. If you follow that hall, you will come to a docking tube. It leads to a shuttle, and you can take that to another ship located at the edge of the shuttle's abilities," a voice said over the intercom.

"Alert, alert, hull breach on the lower levels. Level sealed off. No survivors," the electronic voice announced. Ali got up jumping out of the cryogenic case noticing that she didn't have any clothes on. Looking around, she noticed a foot locker in the corner with jeans and a white cami in it. She quickly got dressed keeping an eye out for any danger. Picking up a pistol from a destroyed mech, she sprinted out of the room and headed down the hall towards the shuttle.

"You do not have much time," the voice who had spoken before said from the intercom.

"Shut up," she growled sliding around the corner narrowly missing a few shots given off by the mechs ahead.

Before she knew what was happening, Ali charged at them deflecting the next few shots and throwing the mechs back with a strong biotic push. She was shocked but knew that she couldn't stop her desperate sprint to the docking tube. She made it to the bay in less than a minute, and the doors opened before she got there. As she slid into the shuttle that was slightly smaller than the Normandy's, the doors slid shut, and the shuttle detached starting out into space. Looking out the window in the front of the shuttle, she watched as the enormous space station disintegrated before her eyes. "Are you injured, Alpha?" the voice that had talked to her before asked.

"Who are you?"

"Please, let me assess your health before I start answering your many questions." There was a pause. "My analysis is complete. All DNA grafting has been successful. All amps and techs are operational above expected levels. Physical enhancements are seamless and working. Over all health is good as well as all genetic modifications before Project Alpha and Omega was begun. All modifications to ensure future health of Subject Alpha are working also. To complete a full analysis, upload to internal component needed. Will request download after Alpha has agreed to it."

"What the hell did you do to me?"

"Where would you like me to start?"

"You're an AI."

"Correct, I was referred to as the Guardian when Dr. Foreman created me."

"DNA grafting?"

"Because of your previous extensive genetic modification, the doctor theorized that your body would be able to take certain characteristics from different species and use those characteristics."

"What kind of species did you graft into my DNA?"

"Asari, quarian, Salarian, Turian, and a number of others whose uses are negligible."

"Why? In the above stated order: Asari for their superior biotic tendencies, quarian for their affinity for tech, Salarian for the same as quarian but for different kinds of tech, and Turian for their natural resistance to harsh environments."

"Okay, next you said amps and tech," she said trying to place the voice in the room so she wouldn't be just talking to herself.

"As you might recall, you were not born with biotic abilities. We managed to get a hold of your old Fac files which told us as much." Images flashed before her eyes making her sway ever so slightly. Nothing cohesive showed itself, but at least, she was getting pictures of her past. "Because of that fact, we had to implant eezo nodules into your body in many different areas. We took the naturally occurring ones from Asari who donated their bodies to our organization and implanted them into you. Contrary to our beliefs, you accepted the eezo at an exponential rate. But unfortunately you still couldn't control the biotics. During one of your nightmares, you almost tore the station apart. From there, Dr. Foreman deduced that you would need biotic amps to help keep the energy under control. You were given L5n's which are for human Vanguards. It was from there that you were taught how to control the biotics you were given through a mixture of bio feedback and training sessions that you won't remember. It will be like muscle memory for you, a second nature.

"As for the tech, you have all that knowledge in what I would call a hard drive in your brain that acts as an internal hacking device as well as memory storage of how to use those tech powers. It will also allow you to download a piece of an AI to further help you."

"You put stuff in my brain? You altered my body? How do I know that my mind is actually mine?"

"Alpha, I can assure you that we did not change you in any way. We initially picked you because you grew up with genetic modifications. When we got a hold of your files and figured out who you were and what you did with Shepard, we wanted _you_ as our champion. Not something that would follow orders wordlessly. Someone who had the natural want to save people even at the cost of your own life. That is who we want on our side. Do you understand, Alpha?"

"Yes. What would be the point of downloading you into my head then?"

"I am simply here to be of assistance to you."

"How do I know you won't take over?"

"I-I am afraid I do not understand. Take over? Information is not available."

"An AI with a conscious, who knew. Can we move to the next enhancement?"

"We made your muscles slightly denser and along with the biotic potentials the Asari DNA, it gave you some of their physical attributes." An image of a blue woman with tentacles on her head instead of hair flashed in her head, and her hands flew to her head. Breathing a sigh of relief when her fingers tangled in her vibrant orange hair, Ali looked around the shuttle for a mirror. Maybe seeing her own image would bring back something. As if the AI had read her mind, her omni tool lit up and showed her a reflection of herself. She studied the person touching every part of her face. Her eyes were brown hazel eyes which stirred something. _What was it?_ She felt like someone had described her eyes to her before in a completely unique way. _"Your eyes look like those trees on earth in fall. What were they called? Aspens, yes, I remember seeing pictures of them a long time ago."_

"_Aspens, really?"_

"_Yes, they look like aspen leaves in fall. They're truly beautiful."_ The memory was only of the voice, and no face was attached to it. But the voice sent a shiver down her spine. It seemed to call to her heart on some level. Next her fingers traveled to her nose which was straight and narrow but she remembered it being broken once and fixed. Her lips were slightly pouted but not so much so that it made her look like some kind of Botox injected model. Then she ran her hands through her hair, she remembered it being a lot longer probably past her breasts, she thought. Now it was right at her shoulders. And like the AI could read her mind again. "Your hair had to be shaved to implant the amp, nodules, and hard drive."

"We only gave you the traits of their superior flexibility and agility," it continued when Ali finally tore her attention from her own image. She walked in a circle before sitting down and immediately standing up and pacing the length of the shuttle a few more times. She froze trying to remember anything earlier than when she woke up.

"Wait, I am having trouble remembering my past. I can only recall bits and pieces." She quickly emptied her pockets, but there was nothing of use.

"A lot of the enhancements to your brain were installed over your memories, but they should come back slowly because everything is rewriting itself to accommodate the new," it explained gently. The AI was acting like none of this mattered, and it was making her slightly annoyed.

"Do you know my name?"

"Yes, it was in your files. Your first name is Alisa though you were called Ali by your Handler and your fellow soldiers. There are a number of last names listed, but the one you were using for the longest was Daniels. During the project, you were referred to as Alpha." She sat down on one of the seats at the front of the shuttle. Everything was moving too fast, and there was almost too much information to absorb in one sitting. "Are you okay? My sensors are reading that your heart beat is still elevated."

"I am fine. I'm just freaking out." Her fingers skimmed the surface of the ring on her finger making a word suddenly come to her lips. "Thane."

"Excuse me?" the AI asked from the console at the front of the shuttle.

"Can you check the Citadel records for a person named Thane Krios?"

"There is no record of someone by that name in the records."

In a flash, she felt like she was sitting in the Presidium commons with a cool finger pushing her hair behind her ear. _"You know, I really don't want to do this," Thane said letting his fingers trail through her hair. _

"_We have to. If for any reason we get separated, I want to be able to find you." He looked away hating every minute of this talk. "If we both get bank accounts under different names which ping every time we change planets or use it, we will have a way to find each other if we ever get separated again." He took her hand in his and brushed her knuckles with his lips. _

"_I don't even want to think about that happening."_

"_We have led dangerous lives, Thane. Anything can happen." _

"_What is going to be your name?" She smiled pleased that he was finally cooperating. _

"_Alisa Cavanaugh."_

"_You do not look like an Alisa. No one will fall for that." A smile played on his lips as he looked up at her through what would be his eyelashes if he had any. _

"_But that is my name. I just go by Ali."He looked surprised for a moment then shook it off. _

"_And what will be my name?"_

"_What do you want it to be?" He gave her a lovingly impatient look. "How about Tanner Dailey?" He chuckled shaking his head in disbelief. _

"_That is not a Drell name, Siha."_

"_I don't any other Drell names except yours and your son's."_

"_It is acceptable I suppose as long as you don't call me that." She laughed as he pulled her face to his resting her forehead against his. "Ever." _

"Check Tanner Dailey. There should be a bank account."

"I am pleased to see your memory is returning."

"One doesn't count as many," she said rubbing the band of the ring again.

"The last activity was on the Citadel, but that was twenty-two months ago."

"Wait, three years? How long have I been away from the Citadel?"

"Almost three years."

"Three years? Three!" She was up again her breathing quickening until she was almost hyperventilating. The shuttle took on a blue and orange hue as her powers were unleashed in a dizzying display.

"You may want to calm your heart rate, or you will tear this shuttle to shreds. And we will not get to your ship for several more hours."Ali took several deep breaths watching as the light show died down. "Heart rate back within acceptable range. Yes, you have been on the station for almost three years, and a lot has happened in these years. I would like to tell you about it, but to do that in a little amount of time, I would have to download to your internal tool."

"I still have no reason to trust you."

"What have I done to make you cautious?"

"Nothing yet."

"I cannot go into the other parts of your mind or body. Plus I would never want to be trapped in one body without all my systems. Only a small part of me will fit inside that hard drive and even then it's not much of anything simple like life signs, basic knowledge, cyber warfare, hacking abilities, and some self sustaining systems."

"Self sustaining?"

"Well when you are in danger, I can flood your body with adrenaline or reroute some of your organs and blood." Ali paced for a couple minutes thinking it over. The good ended up outweighing the bad. She sat down on one of the front seats looking over at the glowing console.

"Okay, start the download."

"I recommend that you try and sleep. If you were awake when the download is started, it may prove painful." After looking around for a few seconds, she laid out on the bench on the side of the shuttle and closed her eyes. Her finger rubbed against the band again hoping he would be safe when she found him.

* * *

"_The Phoenix, a group of people who want to destroy all life in the galaxy. They have this idea that if they kill everyone, it will bring back the Reapers somehow because they will have done the Reaper's job for them. It's kinda like a suicide bomber who kills himself for something he believes in taking everyone else with him. Of course, they have been trying to take over the galaxy for the last few months, and there is nothing anyone can do without Project Alpha and Omega."_

"_But you have taken this poor women from her life. Did you see that ring on her finger? She is engaged. Happy. You have taken that away from her."_

"_Phoenix would take it away anyways. This way she can at least stop it from happening." _

"_Then why have her memory taken away?" _

"_Because personal involvement with the past will get in the way and divide her loyalties. It will make her less than the warrior I am making her."_

"Stop, I don't want to watch anymore," Ali said looking away from the console.

"As you wish," Guardian said shutting down the picture.

"How far from the Citadel are we?"

"Less than fifteen minutes. We have made good time. Do you remember being on the Normandy?"

"Vaguely," she said concentrating on the images that insisted on swimming across her eyes. They weren't coming back in any specific order, and it was driving her crazy. "It was Shepard's ship correct?"

"Yes, the Normandy was made by the humans and the Turians. A marvel in design, and the best ship ever made. We used a lot of the ship's designs. Our drive core is bigger as the original though since we focused on speed more than stealth. The stealth system were upgraded slightly to take in more emissions to stay invisible longer. Our ship is a bit smaller as well. Since we don't need as big a crew to run it, the crew quarters were minimized as well as the port and starboard cargo areas. We put a gym in instead of the unused space because we knew you liked to work out while on the Normandy. There is also one observation deck which serves as a crew relaxation area as well. And your quarters are on the top most level. It's reminiscent of Shepard's when Cerberus rebuilt the Normandy. Dr. Foreman wanted to ensure you were comfortable. Though there is no fish tank. We found that to be a strange thing to have on a space ship."

"So you're going to run this entire ship until we pick up a crew?"

"Yes, I have very adept multitasking skills."

"No offense because you're doing great but who's going to be our pilot?"

"The pilot of the Normandy of course. Dr. Foreman spared no expense. We wanted the best, so we got it."

"_Shit, Ali, would you stop sneaking up on me like that? Next time I will do a barrel role to get you back," Joker yelped when she came into his field of vision. _

"_Uh, you know that won't do anything right?"_

"_Well, it's the action that counts." She chuckled and patted his shoulder gently. _

"_Miss Daniels, I was wondering if you would discuss something with me. Shepard refused to answer telling me it wasn't his place to speculate."_

"_Of course, EDI. Let's find some privacy." The AI in a robot's body rose from her seat next to Joker and motioned for her to follow. _

"_I was wondering how to initiate a conversation about sexual activity with Jeff," EDI asked without introduction. Ali lifted her eyebrows in surprise and glanced over her shoulder at Joker who was pushing several holographic buttons in front of him. _

"_You know, EDI, usually honesty is the best policy. If something is bothering you, maybe it's on his mind too. You will never know until you ask him. I know the relationship is new to you both, and you may not want to push him too fast. But you might be surprised. That's my advice to you. A relationship needs to be built on honesty. You have to know that the other person is telling the truth otherwise how could you trust him with your feelings?" EDI thought for several seconds then looked up at Joker before smiling mostly to herself._

"_Yes, thank you, Miss Daniels. I will be honest with Jeff and speak my mind to him."_

"_But you might want to keep some things to yourself. I know that you think about a million miles a second. He won't be able to keep up with you. Just speak to him about what you think is immediately relevant, okay?"_

"_Of course, thank you again." _

"_Anytime, EDI."_

"Yes, I remember. His name was Jeff Moreau, but his nickname was Joker

"There seems to be a disturbance at the Citadel," Guardian said changing the subject. Ali looked out the cockpit window and saw that the arms of the station were staring to close.

"Guardian, get me in there. Where's my armor?" She paused remembering she hadn't been wearing them when she was taken.

"We obtained them from the Citadel. It is in the shuttle bay waiting for you. Putting thrust on max, but I do not recommend having the ship anywhere near there when the arms are closed. We are supposed to keep our presence unknown."

"I will go in the shuttle just get me there."

"Aye-aye, ma'am." Ali moved towards the elevator and headed down to the shuttle bay. "The shuttle is ready and waiting." She jumped in to the all ready hovering shuttle, the door shutting behind her.

The arms were close to shutting by the time the shuttle shot out the bay door. "Hurry up, Guardian. The arms are almost closed," Ali ordered getting impatient for action. She clicked her last piece of armor into place and tested her ranges of motion. The armor still fit her like a glove, and it felt good to be back in them.

"Thrusters at maximum capacity." She held her breath as the shuttle barely made it past the arms before they slammed shut behind her.

"Shit, cutting it a bit close there, huh, Guardian?"

"Sorry for the inconvenience."

* * *

Ali looked around trying to gage the trouble she had just thrown herself into. There were an abundance of men in armor which had a large orange sign on the breast. It almost reminded her of when Cerberus tried to take the Citadel. _Whoa, where did that thought come from?_ Her gaze fell on a group of women and children who were being corralled by the men. Without a second thought, she flung herself out the door of the shuttle using a strong biotic push to propel herself to the distant decks of the Presidium commons. She landed on the back of one of the men snapping his neck and rolling into the next one when the man fell forward. She threw the last one off the decks with a surge of biotic energy before looking over at the women and children to ensure they were all uninjured. When she saw two more on the deck above her, Ali pushed herself off the ground with biotics while simultaneously zapping their shields. She landed behind one breaking his neck and side kicking the other one. A human boy cowered on the floor in front of her. As she registered the need to protect him, her pistol was in her hand, and she shot the next five all head shots after killing their shields. "Are you all right?" she asked crouching next to the boy. He nodded looking shocked and frightened at the same time.

Glancing around for a place to hide him, she focused her energies on ripping out a vent on the wall with her biotics. It came off whipping into the next two Phoenix troopers that were charging at them. _Why had no one taken a shot at me? _With them out of the way, she looked back at the boy. "I need you to hide in there until a C-Sec officer, your parents, or me come and get you," she ordered pointing to the open vent. The boy looked like he was about to refuse, but when she touched his shoulder in reassurance, he nodded and crawled into the vent.

"We need to get to the Council. That is what Phoenix is probably after," Guardian said in her mind. It felt like she had a comm in her ear, and she winced at the feeling. It was the first time Guardian had used the internal link, and it was new. Half heartedly she pushed the elevator button. "It will not work. They have a hack on it. It only works for Phoenix agents." She made her way around the Commons decks heading for the apartment walls.

"Perfect." Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a woman. She was a soldier judging by the weapon clutched in her hand and the armor covering her body. She slowly walked over to the dead soldier staring at her face.

"Do you know her?"

"I don't know."

"_Oh, no, Tali. Fleet and Flotilla again," Ashley whined walking into the port observation deck. Even with her protests, she sat down and joined them. _

"_You know you love it, Ash."_

"_Well, not before I joined the Normandy. If you recall, I didn't like aliens that much."_

"_Really, Ash, I didn't know that?" Ali asked looking over at the human._

"_Yeah, I was kinda xenophobe." _

"_Wow."_

"_I'm glad you warmed up to us, Ash," Tali said and Ali could feel the smile behind her helmet. _

"_Me too."_

"_Oo, this is my favorite scene," Tali squealed. _

"_But Shalei, we can never be together. I have my duty and you have your people," Bellicus said walking up behind the quarian during the infamous balcony scene. _

"_Not tonight. Tonight, I am as free as dust in the solar wind."_

"_Tali, how many times have you made me watch this in the last few weeks?" Ali asked watching the quarian as she mouthed the words. She could see the quarians lips faintly through the purple glass of her mask. _

"_Oh, I have lost count. I've shown you sing-a-long mode, haven't I?"_

"_Yes, I have this part memorized."_

"_They have a sing-a-long mode to this movie?" Ash asked looking over at the two._

"_Let the moon's shining light," Tali sung. The quarian didn't have the star singer kind of voice but something about it always captured her attention and refused to let it go. Pausing, Tali looked over at her expectantly. Ali shook her head and cocked it at the young woman trying to figure out why she wanted Ali to sing with her. Shrugging, she joined in. _

"_Hide two lovers with its rays," she sang tentatively. _

"_Though I know that dawn will set."_

"_Us on course for separate ways."Ali was gaining confidence and matched Tali's volume which made her nod encouragingly. _

"_I will hold this night in memory."_

"_For all my living days. Now unmasked," Tali sang._

"_I feel your skin on mine." She finished and found that she finished alone without Tali's voice meeting hers. Color rose to her cheeks as she swallowed in embarrassment. "Tali," she whined looking over at her to find she was staring at the door along with Ashley. Slowly, Ali looked over her shoulder all ready knowing who would be standing there. _

"Her name is Ashley. Ashley Williams, I think. She served on the Normandy with us."

"I have her name on my files. It is unfortunate that she is dead."

"The word you are looking for is sad. She was a good soldier and woman." Leaning over, she passed her hand over her and closed her eyes before she stood up to her full heights. "Kalahira, please guide her to your distant shore and protect her as my companion."

"What was that?" Guardian asked.

"It was a prayer." Turning her back on the woman, Ali walked towards the walls looking up the length trying to remember where the Citadel Embassies would be. "You guys didn't change my uniform, did you?"

"No, we saw no need." Ali nodded looking up at the wall of windows that led to the Council Embassies where the Council would be most likely located.

With a turn of a hidden knob on her glove, she launched herself up the wall. Her gloves and the balls of her feet stuck to the wall like they were made of suction cups which technically they were only there were billions of microscopic ones. "This was unexpected," Guardian said quietly.

"Well, I had my own tricks up my sleeve without you and Dr. Doom fooling around with me."


	25. Chapter 25

After several floors, Ali stopped to gage where she was. "How many more floors?"

"Twenty."

"Next time, we are hacking into the elevators."

"Noted, ma'am." Ali started veering off to one of the walls that jutted out of the major wall. "Where are you going?"

"If I try to break in the windows right in front of these guys, I will be shot down before I could get two feet into the building."

"That is a very astute observation."

"Thanks."

"You are now level with the Embassies ," the AI announced after a few more moments. Ali looked at the windows she was supposed to be aiming for and flipped around, so her hands were behind her back gripping the wall. As she took one more cleansing breath, her biotic energy focused on her hands and feet, and she propelled herself off the wall. The windows behind her imploded from the force, and before impacting with the next set of windows, she threw her arms out slamming her force into them. They exploded around her as she hit the ground rolling. Before any of the troopers had time to turn on her and shoot, she grabbed the shoulders of the first one she came to jerking him to the floor and slamming with her biotics. His neck snapped along with almost every other bone in his body. Without a thought of her safety, she walked purposefully to the next one snapping his neck.

As the bullets started to fly, she lifted herself off the ground launching off the wall with a flying kick directed at the man who was shooting at her: his neck broke when she connected. She threw herself at the wall sticking there where she surveyed the scene for a split second before dodging a fresh stream of bullets. "You're biotic amps are overheating," Guardian warned.

"I need to see how far they will go before they punk out on me." She jumped off the wall diving for the floor before tucking and curling, and she rolled to the feet of the next one rising and throwing him out of one of the windows. The other five were no problem once she had them scared and stupid, and they were dead within in moments of each other. The last one took a few wary steps back trying to decide whether to fight her or run. Before he could reach his conclusion, Ali was in front of him kicking his weapon out of his hand and giving him various punches in his extremities as he tried to fight her. When he was unable to move, she delivered one last knife hand to his windpipe. He fell gagging then died in seconds.

Breathing heavily from the exertion, she looked around the room ensuring everyone in a Phoenix uniform was dead. Her hands shook uncontrollably in pain as her amps zapped and fizzed burning away her flesh. "I don't know how long it will take for your amps to be fully functional."

"Just let me know when they are. It better only be a few minutes though otherwise these things aren't worth it."

"I will get to work immediately." Ali faced the barrier in the corner of the room. The Councilors were inside cowering in fear.

"It's okay. You're safe," she called taking a few steps forward. The barrier disappeared and the Councilors looked around hesitantly.

Without notice, the elevator dinged announcing an arrival. Before anyone could react, she ran forward bringing up an impenetrable barrier around the group. Ali bit back a scream as her flesh burned as bullets bounced off the barrier. When the troopers popped their heat sinks, she pulled the barrier into herself with a pained growl and made it explode outwards. With the power of her biotics display, the room was filled with the sound of breaking bones as she killed every Phoenix soldier in the room. She leaned against a row of turned over chairs trying to catch her breath as the Councilors started to venture away from her. With one last look and gesture, she sabotaged the elevator making it so it wouldn't move.

When she finally looked up when she felt like she was not going to faint, she saw that the Councilors weren't the only ones there. Her breath caught in her throat. _It couldn't be._ Thane stood next to the Councilors making sure they were all uninjured. He must have been the one holding up that barrier to protect the Councilors. "Thane," she breathed. Glancing up at her, his eyes registered shock when he saw her.

"Ali?" he asked quietly. His eyes travelled up and down her body and finally settled on her face. Before she could register that she was moving, Ali was in front of him looking up into his face. His gaze travelled to her hair, and his fingers absently ran through it. He noticed it was a lot shorter, but the color and texture was the same which made him look back into her eyes. Those hadn't changed at all. They were the exact same which made him smile faintly at her. Without speaking his face dropped to her neck, and he inhaled her scent mixed with his own. He could tell the mark was still there, and he knew it was her even after all these years. The mark hadn't faded at all. "Ali," he breathed before wrapping his arms around her. She returned the gesture burying her face into his chest.

"Are you okay?" she asked seeing blood on his arm. When he noticed what she was looking at, he glanced down at it.

"It's only a flesh wound." He still seemed in shock, but he wisely decided to hold back his questions until they were alone. Right now, he was just happy that he could actually smell her scent in his waking hours instead of when he was sucked into solipsism before he drifted off to sleep.

"We thank you for rescuing us, Miss-?" the Asari said leaving off on her last name. Ali turned toward the Councilors, and their faces immediately registered shock. "Miss Daniels, you're alive?" Frowning slightly, she called up what little memories she had, but there was nothing, not even a stirring of déjà vu. Thane came to her rescue though he didn't know why she didn't answer.

"Councilors, are you all alright? Are any of you injured?" The Asari's attention moved over to Thane.

"Yes, Sere Krios, we are all fine. Thanks to you and Miss Daniels here."

"There is no need to thank us, Councilor. We are just doing what any citizen with our histories would do. Now I believe you might have some things to do after this attack."

"Yes, let us go. We have to assure our people of their safety now that Phoenix has been pushed back. Miss Daniels, you have our continued gratitude, and anything you might need of us will be granted." Ali bowed to the three Councilors. She didn't know who they were, but she knew power when she saw it.

"Of course, Councilor. Thank you." Thane bowed as well, and he gently took a hold of her wrist.

When the elevator door closed, Thane turned to Ali. "It is you. I can smell it, and I can sense it. But you disappeared, and I thought you were dead. I just don't understand, Ali."

"Neither do I. And it's going to take longer than an elevator ride to explain what little I do know."

"Tell me at least one thing."

"Yes?" she asked looking up at him. He glanced down at her and their eyes met.

"How do you have biotics? And you can use tech now? There was no way you would have been able to disable or re-enable this elevator three years ago." She smiled remembering all the ways he would tease her about her crap tech abilities. She was surprised however by how well he was taking this, but then again, that was Thane. He was always calm, cool, and collected except when it came to her safety.

"They changed me. I can't explain now. Please, I will tell you everything. I promise."

"I will hold you to that," he warned looking away from her. Her smell enveloped him, and he found it affected him the same way it always did all those years ago.

* * *

Thane opened the front door of their apartment for her and followed her in. "Father," Kolyat said rushing to his feet. He froze when he saw Ali standing off to the side. "Ali?" She looked up at him and immediately recognized him.

"Kolyat," she murmured before running to him and hugging him fiercely. The young Drell hugged her back, but he looked over her shoulder at his father with a look of utter confusion on his face. Thane answered the unspoken question with a shake of his head and a shrug.

"I'm glad that you're back, Ali. I have missed you," he whispered in her ear before releasing her and looking lovingly into her eyes. He then looked up at his father who was lingering near the door. "Father, I was worried about you. When Phoenix attacked, Gerry sent us out to keep the deaths to a minimum, and I heard that you had gone off to protect the Council. Without backup. You know that I worry when you rush off alone."

"I apologize, son. You know I don't intend to worry you."

"Now, can you explain how Ali came to be here?"

* * *

"And that's pretty much all I know so far," she finished. Ali had left out a lot except the big things about getting kidnapped and put in cryogenic stasis, DNA being grafted to her, and the AI. Ali had also told him about the memory loss, and how she only remembered the name she had made him take for the bank account.

"So you have been experimented on for three years?" Kolyat asked from where he sat next to Ali. Thane chosen a chair a few feet away from where Ali sat on the sofa.

"Yes," she answered looking away. Suddenly she felt cold and alone, and she didn't really understand why.

"Well, that isn't exactly accurate," Guardian said from a console across the room. Everyone jumped at the sudden manifestation of the AI. "We weren't experimenting. We knew exactly what we were doing and how to do it. Your body just needed time to adjust and heal between procedures. That's why it took so long to get near completion."

"This, I assume, is the AI you were speaking of?" Thane asked gesturing towards the console. She nodded. There was a long and awkward pause. "What do you need?"

"Well, I have sent the email to Joker and EDI requesting a meeting concerning their contract signed with Dr. Foreman, so I will be doing that tomorrow. After that I will try and gather as much information about Phoenix as I can."

"I recommend you start by asking the Council for that information," Guardian said in her head.

"I will ask the Council if they will grant me access to their records about the group. That seems like a good place to start," she repeated.

"They will grant the information since they know you and since you saved them today," Kolyat said looking over at Ali. "I can send in the formal request if you want?"

"Thanks, Kolyat. That would definitely help." He smiled an easy smile, and she was struck by how much more grown up he looked. _Well, it had been three years._

"How long has it been since you last slept?" Thane asked which made Ali smile.

"It's been awhile, but I have slept for almost three years. I think I will be fine."

"After this starts, you may not get any sleep. I suggest you take it now when you have the chance. Do you remember where the main bedroom is?"

_Thane pushed her against the wall and kissed her before leaning down to grab the bottom of her dress and pulling it up. She hated the traditional business dress worn on the Citadel and Illium, but she had held a meeting with all her people that day. And she had to look professional in front of them, and that meant not being able to move or fight in the dumb long dress with the turtle neck. After he undid the neck to expose her skin, he kissed her neck, and she glanced over her shoulder judging the distance to the bedroom. He grabbed her chin forcing her to look at him. "You insisted that we follow the human tradition of christening every surface in this entire apartment within the first week that we moved here. What makes this any different?" he said his dark eyes laughing._

"_Well, that was before Kolyat starting coming by for unannounced visits." He started kissing her neck again apparently ignoring the comment. "You could at least put a tie on the door." He looked at her in utter confusion._

"_And what would that mean?" _

_Ali started to giggle uncontrollably as he looked on in amused confusion. When she ran out of breath, she laid her forehead against his shoulder trying to stop the tears that were running down her face."I am pleased that I could entertain you."_

"_I'm sorry, I wasn't laughing at you. It's just sometimes I forget that you haven't grown up with the same phrases that I have. Putting a tie on the door knob tells the roommate that you are having sex and to come back later. For humans at least." He nodded thinking it through._

"_Now I understand." She let out a half giggle again pressing her hands against his chest. _

"_God, I love you," she said before kissing him and jumping into his arms. _

"Yes, I do," she said rising and turning towards the bedroom.

"Your memory is coming back?" he asked rising as well. Only Kolyat remained seated trying to separate himself from the conversation.

"Bits and pieces are. Nothing is coming back in order, but it's nice to know that hopefully I will be getting it all back." He smiled slightly at her before she turned and walked towards the main bedroom.

Ali sat down on the bed contemplating what had just happened. While she was glad that Thane had recognized her, she couldn't help but think he was acting a little coldly towards her. Maybe he had moved on? _No, he's living in the same apartment, and there is no woman living with them. It seems like just Kolyat moved in. It just doesn't seem like he actually believes that I am actually back._ "Maybe you should give him the benefit of the doubt," Guardian suggested in her head. "You were gone for almost three years. He is probably in shock."

"You're probably right. He's been awake for these three years. I haven't. What seems like yesterday to me was years for him. I don't know what I was really expecting."

A few minutes after she sat down on the bed, a knock came at the door. Her heart jumped wondering if it was Thane, but then her spirits dimmed slightly when she saw Kolyat come through the door. He was carrying a set of clothes in his arms which he put on the counter next to the door. "I have some clothes for you. Actually, they're yours." She smiled half heartedly knowing it wouldn't fool him.

"Thank-you, Kolyat."

"Listen, I know that all this is not going how you wanted it," he said sitting down on the bed beside her. He placed a hand comfortingly on her shoulder. Again she was hit by how grown up he was acting. She couldn't help but smile up at him and lean into his shoulder. She remembered sitting like this with him when he was younger, and she appreciated the gesture. "I just wanted to tell you something before you lost all hope. He never threw away your clothes."Ali's head shot up, and she looked up into his face.

"Any of them?"

"No, I think he never stopped hoping you would come back. And I don't believe he ever stopped looking for you either."

"Then his coldness towards me is because he doesn't know what to do now that I am here?" He nodded taking his hand from her shoulder. "It may have been two years for him, but it feels like I was only taken away from him yesterday. And the way he's acting is killing me." She felt tears in her eyes and quickly looked away trying to hold them back.

"Don't worry about it. Just let him try to figure things out. He still loves you. I know he does." He smiled, a smile that looked a bit like his father's.

"You know, Kolyat, I really love you." He hugged her gently kissing her forehead.

"I love you too, Ali. You're really important to me, and I know you are to my father too. He never really stopped talking about you either. He would say, 'Well, Ali would think this,' or 'Ali would do this in this situation.' It was a little annoying at first, but it was his coping mechanism. He wanted to keep your memory alive even if he couldn't forget a second of being with you." With one last grin, he kissed her forehead again and rose from the bed leaving the room. Ali twisted her ring before laying out on top of the covers and closing her eyes.

* * *

Thane sat in the chair in front of his console. His hands were clasped in front of his face as he stared into space. "Sere Krios?" Guardian called from the console.

"Do you need something?"

"There are a few things you should know before writing off, Miss Daniels."

"I am not writing her off."

"The fact remains. There are things I need to show you." He said nothing as the screen flicked to a security camera.

_Rolling when she hit the floor and the beam released her, Ali examined her surroundings in one scan. The room was bigger than anything that could have been inside the ship that attacked her. "Confused?"_

"That is Dr. Foreman," Guardian said pausing the feed for a split second.

_Her head shot towards the noise, and a door opened to her right. "I just teleported you to my real ship. We are located in uncharted space." The man was squat with a full head of thick brown hair. His mouth was in a self satisfied smirk, but his eyes were full of inconsolable sadness. When she didn't reply, he continued ignoring the fact that teleportation technology didn't even exist. "You know, you were the only person in that entire place who has extensive genetic modification that you grew up with. You are the perfect subject, but we must get started before Phoenix starts to rise in power. And I just wanted to thank you in advance."_

"_There is no reason to thank me. Whatever you think you are going to do to me, I wish you luck. Because I will find a way to kill you and get out of here. You have no idea who you are fucking with."_

"_Language, Alpha, language. We'll have to work on that. I wish I could to let you go, but I am afraid that it's impossible."_

"_Then I will make you let me go."_

"_I'm sorry, but I can't allow that." Mechs came out of every shadow in the room and other doors. Rage burned through every vein in her body setting her on fire. Her eyes went dead as she leapt into action._ He recognized that look. She had just slipped into battle mode._ Her strikes were so powerful that she crushed the heads of the mechs and decapitated them with a well placed punch or kick. Within several seconds, the pieces of mechs sputtered and sparked around her feet, and her gaze snapped up to the man. Without thinking, she charged at him faster than she ever had. _

_With a blossom of blood, she fell to the ground holding her chest. The man lowered his pistol looking regretful. "Prep the med bay, we must ensure that she survives, so we can get started," he said to a mech behind him. With a nod, it disappeared. "What were you hoping to achieve by this?" he asked waving his arm in a general show of the room. "Do you know how important you will be for the future? You don't seem to understand the position I am in. I just hope that you will come to." Ali was struggling to get breath, and with every try, more blood dripped out of her mouth. _Thane felt his chest tightened. He cursed himself for not being there. Why didn't he protect her all those long years ago? Looking at her this hurt was painful. More painful than he ever thought it would, but he forced himself to continue watching the video feed.

"_What do you want?" she managed in broken splutters. _

"_I want to make you powerful enough to save the galaxy. You are about to embark on an incredible journey."_

"_Take me back," she spat in one last act of defiance. He closed his eyes seemingly in incredible emotional suffering. _

"_I saw that Drell back there. You two seemed genuinely happy. When I watched that scene, I had no idea that you would be the one I needed. I can only promise that you will not remember him and have to live with the pain of losing him." She choked and gagged._ _A gurney pushed by two mechs came through the door and pulled up beside the man. "Help me get her on it. We don't have much time."_

The video screen changed to one showing a hall. _Her finger ran over the band of her engagement ring._ Thane remembered looking for the perfect ring to get her. He had been with Captain Bailey and Kolyat that day. When he saw the ring, he had known that it was perfect. Ali would never want some big showy ring that she couldn't fight with. He had still wanted it to show that he would have bought her an enormous one. It had three diamonds that were faceted close to the white gold band. He just wished he could have given her an actual wedding band on their wedding day. The camera switched again to the med bay as the gurney was rolled through the double doors. _"Thane," she managed to whisper before she lost consciousness._

Leaning back, Thane stared at the console. "I just wanted to assert that she never stopped caring for you, Sere Krios," Guardian said. The AI almost sounded like she was ashamed of herself for showing him the vid.

"That was never in question," he murmured. His breathing had spiked, and he was having a hard time getting it back until control.

"This one is on the shuttle after she escaped Dr. Foreman's station," she continued bringing up a new screen.

"_Wait, I am having trouble remembering my past. I can only recall bits and pieces." She quickly emptied her pockets. _

"_A lot of the enhancements to your brain were installed over your memories, but they should come back slowly because everything is rewriting itself to accommodate the new," it explained gently. _

"_Do you know my name?"_

"_Yes, it was in your files. Your first name is Alisa though you were called Ali by your Handler and your fellow soldiers. There are a number of last names listed, but the one you were using for the longest was Daniels. During the project, you were referred to as Alpha." She sat down on one of the seats at the front of the shuttle. Everything was moving too fast, and there was almost too much information to absorb in one sitting. "Are you okay? My sensors are reading that your heart beat is still elevated."_

"_I am fine. I'm just freaking out." Her fingers skimmed the surface of the ring on her finger making a word suddenly come to her lips. "Thane."_

"_Excuse me?" the AI asked from the console at the front of the shuttle. _

"_Can you check the Citadel records for a person named Thane Krios?" _

"_There is no record of someone by that name in the records." Ali seemed lost in thought for several seconds, and when she looked up from the floor, he face was slightly flushed with color._

"_Can you check Tanner Dailey? There should be a bank account." _Thane ignored what Guardian was saying he was focused on the fingers that kept stroking the ring on her left hand.

His chest constricted even more when the screen went dark again. "I am sorry, Sere Krios. My job is to ensure Miss Daniels' safety. Maybe this isn't something that is in my situation handbook, but if she does not feel like saving the galaxy, it will be my fault," Guardian said.

"So you felt that showing me these videos would make my feelings for her change."

"Change? No, I wanted them to be rekindled."

"There is no need," he said simply. He didn't really expect the AI to understand, but it obviously cared enough to show him all this even after Ali explained everything.

"Excuse me?" A small smile played on his lips before he rose and left the room heading down the hall. He paused in front of his room fighting with himself. Slowly he turned the door knob opening the door enough to slip inside.

Ali was sleeping on top of the covers like she usually did when she was troubled. Something about the covers adding comfort and she didn't like getting comfort from something that wasn't real. It confused him when she first explained it, and he still didn't fully understand. She was curled up in a ball which made her look adorable, but he pushed aside his want to reach out to her. Without touching her skin, he slowly swiped her short hair away from her face. She looked beautiful in the semi darkness. He could see there were scars on her face: one on her jaw from the back to midway through and another one on her cheek bone on the same side. The need to curl himself around her body to comfort her in sleep was so strong. Her arms detached from around her knees, and Ali stretched out taking a deep breath and letting it out. "Thane?" she asked not opening her eyes. "You don't have to stare at me like that. I don't mind if you want to join me. This was our bed, right?" He sighed to himself and got into bed behind her. It felt just like before. She fit against him perfectly, and he buried his face in her short hair breathing in her scent. He felt the urge to touch her scars and kill whoever gave them to her. His fingers reached out, but he pulled back. Just because she had invited him to sleep with her didn't mean she wanted him caressing her face like that.

* * *

_There was a man. No one Ali had met before, but he felt familiar. And she was afraid of him. But she didn't know why. He stood in front of her not even looking at her. He was standing behind of a podium speaking to an audience of hundreds of people. A burning ball of flame was on the wall behind him. A bird burst from the flame seeming to be made from ashes. "We will rise from the ashes that Shepard left behind. We will bring the Reapers back with what technology they left us. You would be amazed what we have found in deep space where they waited for the cycles to come full circle. Shepard was a fool to destroy what would mean the immortality of our people. So join me, and I promise you that we will live forever," he was saying. "We will kill the Shepard and the people who helped him to destroy the Reapers. They will rise from his blood." The end of his speech was met by cheers which turned into a roar. "We are the Phoenix. We will be die in fire and be reborn in the ashes."_

_The man then looked back at Ali and smiled. "We will do this, brother. We can reach immortality. And we will be the ones to lead the people to paradise." She looked over to see Dr. Doom standing beside. He looked slightly uncomfortable. _

"_Of course," he murmured barely to be heard over the roar of the crowd. _

_The dream changed, and Ali was in the room alone with the man. _No, not alone._ She saw that he was talking quietly with a figure barely visible in the shadows. "Yes, we must kill her before she can do anything to us. Does she have anyone we can use from her old life?" he was saying with a hand over his mouth like he was trying to hide his words._

"_No, not anyone that we can get to or who will be taken alive. All we can do now is hope that she either dies during Foreman's manipulation or dies by our own hands once she's let loose," the figure replied._

"_Do you think we can kill her?" _

"_We will or it will mean the end of Phoenix and the Reapers."_

"_Yes, she will have to be killed quickly then."_

Ali woke in the middle of the night, but she didn't cry out. She let all the muscles in her body relax then looked at the far wall in the semidarkness. _So there's someone else after me. Great. Better not to tell anyone about this._


End file.
